Two Gators Selected On First Day Of NFL Draft
Sunday, April 27, 2003 | Football
Former University of Florida quarterback Rex Grossman and wide receiver Taylor Jacobs were selected on the opening day of the 2003 NFL Draft. Grossman became the 22nd overall choice in the first round on Saturday as he was taken by the Chicago Bears. Jacobs was the 44th overall choice by the Washington Redskins in the second round.
Florida has now had a first-round draft pick in each of the last seven years and 16 of the last 20. Florida's 25 first-round draft choices since 1984 is the second best total in the nation. Since the first NFL Draft in 1936, a Florida player has been selected in the first round 35 times covering 26 separate seasons, which ties Alabama for the fourth highest total in the country.
Grossman, who declared for the draft following his junior season in Gainesville, became the third Gator QB in school history to be taken in the opening round. Grossman joins Steve Spurrier and John Reaves as the three quarterbacks the University of Florida has produced that have been first round choices. Spurrier was the third overall pick in the 1967 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, while Reaves was picked 14th in 1972 by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Grossman completed his Florida career having appeared in 35 games with 31 starts, while going 23-8 as a starter (18-4 in SEC play). He is the holder of 18 UF records as he completed 677 of 1,110 passes for 9,164 yards and 77 touchdowns for a career pass efficiency rating of 146.77
Washington's choice of Jacobs marked the 10th consecutive year a Florida receiver has been drafted as 14 have gone during the stretch. During his UF career Jacobs played in 44 games with 18 starts. He ranks eighth in school history with 133 career receptions and ninth with 2,097 career receiving yards. In the first game of his final season at Florida, Jacobs set the single game record against UAB with 246 receiving yards.
The NFL Draft continues on Sunday with rounds four through seven.
