The largest Hargrave Post-Graduate recruiting class signs in the 2008 NFL Draft.
By Jason Wolf
This article is reprinted online with permission from the Danville Register & Bee. “Common Ground: GW’s McDuffie among 12 former Hargrave players heading to NFL” first appeared April 29, 2008 in the Danville Register & Bee. Jason Wolf is a Danville Register & Bee sports sports writer.
The Kansas City Chiefs continued loading up on regional talent Monday, signing un-drafted former George Washington High standout and Hargrave Military Academy product Chris McDuffie to a two-year free-agent contract.
McDuffie, a first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference offensive lineman from Clemson University, joins former Hargrave players Branden Albert and Brandon Flowers and fellow Clemson offensive lineman Barry Richardson in heading to Kansas City.
Eight former Hargrave post-graduate football players, including McDuffie, were confirmed as signing free-agent contracts with NFL teams Monday. Including the four former Tigers who were drafted, the number rises to a staggering 12 former members of Hargrave coach Robert Prunty’s football program who have been placed with NFL teams since the start of the weekend’s NFL Draft.
“Based on the information that I have obtained from several sources … they can not recall where one particular school had these many players drafted or signed as free agents in a single year,” Prunty said.
“To have a chance to go the NFL, that’s really what matters,” McDuffie said.
Listed as 6-foot-5 and 330-pounds, the former GW all-state selection and Group AAA player of the year fought through knee, ankle and elbow injuries this season. He cited his medical history as the most likely reason for not being drafted.
McDuffie sat out the Duke game and had elbow surgery for a torn ligament two days after Clemson’s regular-season finale. He put up 29 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where he strained his left quad, following the surgery. He also pulled his right hamstring and was unable to complete his workout for scouts during Clemson’s Pro Day.
He considered a free-agent offer from the Cincinnati Bengals, as well, but said Kansas City was the better fit.
Albert, an offensive guard from the University of Virginia, was taken 15th overall by the Chiefs in the first round of the NFL Draft on Saturday and Flowers, a cornerback from Virginia Tech, was taken in the second round with the 35th overall selection. Kansas City selected Richardson in the sixth round, with the 170th overall pick, on Sunday.
“I’m real excited because they’re going to play for a great coach in Herman Edwards,” Prunty said. “He’s a high-energy guy and he knows — they do background checks on kids — they knew they were taking three kids who went to Hargrave. … That’s a credit to everybody at Hargrave, not just the PG football program.
“That’s very rare. I don’t know off hand any team who signed three kids in the same year who went to the same prep school.”
Kansas City also picked up a couple of other regional players. The Chiefs took North Carolina State safety DaJuan Morgan in the third round, with the 82nd pick, Sunday and inked University of North Carolina placekicker Connor Barth to a rookie-free agent contract Monday.
Kansas City offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, assistant offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris and running backs coach Curtis Modkins were members of the Georgia Tech coaching staff in 2006, when McDuffie caught their attention by stepping in against the Yellow Jackets in place of injured Clemson starter Roman Fry. McDuffie went on to start the final five games that season and 11 of 12 last year, paving the way for running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller to combine for 1,648 rushing yards.
McDuffie redshirted his first season at Clemson after being recruited as a defensive tackle. He played in 10 of the Tigers’ 11 games in 2004 before switching back to the offensive line, where he played at Hargrave.
McDuffie ran into trouble with the law in July 2004 when he was charged with marijuana possession and intent to distribute near the school. He entered a pre-trial intervention program and returned to the team.
In addition to Albert and Flowers, Hargrave saw two other former players taken in this weekend’s NFL Draft, including Arkansas defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, who was picked up in the third round by the Chicago Bears, and Virginia Tech wide receiver Justin Harper, who was selected in the seventh round by the Baltimore Ravens.
Other former Hargrave players who signed rookie free-agent deals Monday include Tennesee safety Jonathan Hefney with Tampa Bay, Virginia Tech cornerback D.J. Parker with San Francisco, Ole Miss defensive tackle Brandon Jenkins with Carolina, Alabama defensive end/linebacker Keith Saunders with New England and N.C. State return specialist Darrell Blackman with Detroit. Southern Utah center Matt Roan will sign with Minnesota today and a handful of other former Hargrave players are still likely to sign deals, including Florida State wide receiver DeCody Fagg and Tennessee defensive end Antonio Reynolds.
“I think all of us have worked hard to get where we are today,” McDuffie said. “Coach Prunty has done a good job with all those, and I just look forward to getting better.”
