Bowling Green State University Athletics
Lichtensteiger Selected by Denver in Fourth Round of the NFL Draft
April 27, 2008 | Football
April 27, 2008
Lichtensteiger Interview
NEW YORK, N.Y. - With the ninth selection of the fourth round (pick No. 108 overall) the Denver Broncos selected BGSU center Kory Lichtensteiger in the 2008 NFL Draft. Lichtensteiger becomes the fourth player drafted under BGSU head coach Gregg Brandon.
Other Falcons selected in the NFL draft under Brandon include Omar Jacobs (2006), Scott Mruczkowski (2005) and Josh Harris (2004).
Lichtensteiger is also the highest BGSU draft pick since Charlie Williams was taken by Dallas in the third round of the 1994 draft.
For his career he started in 48 consecutive contests, which matches a school record. Was named first-team All-MAC twice (senior and junior year) and second-team All-MAC his first two seasons with the Orange and Brown. As a freshman, he was named to Freshman All-American Team by the Football Writers Association of America.
He earned two Academic All-MAC honors as a Falcon, helped the Falcons reach two bowl games and had a combined 27-21 record in his four years as a starter.
This past season the Van Wert, Ohio, native was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, where he finished fourth, given to the nation's top center in the country. He was also named first team All-MAC, was a member of the Lombardi Watch List, was a semi-finalist for the Draffy Award, earned second-team Academic All-MAC honors and helped the Falcons finish in the top five in nearly every offensive category in the MAC.
In 2006 he earned his second first-team All-MAC honor, starting all 12 games and being named the team's co-MVP.
In 2005 Lichtensteiger and the Falcons had the second-best offense in the league, with Lichtensteiger starting all 11 games and being named second-team All-MAC.
As a freshman, in 2004, the Falcon offense was near the top of several offensive categories in the nation, including scoring offense (43.6), pass offense (335.6) and total offense (501.6). Lichtensteiger started all 12 games that season, en route to being named to the Freshman All-American Team by the FWAA.
Quotes From Lichtensteiger
On whether he will fit in with the Broncos' offensive scheme
"I know it is a zone-blocking scheme, and that is the kind of offense I come from. This is
definitely a dream come true because the Broncos were one of the teams I was hoping for big time."
On playing guard or center
"I am going in as a center but a center that can play guard, too."
On his shoulder injury
"I am about eight-and-a-half weeks out of the scope surgery that I had, and it is feeling good. Obviously I am not ready to play just yet. It is a four-to-five month recovery time, and I am already two months in but it is feeling good."
On how he fits into the Broncos' scheme
"They know better at this point than I do. I am just a hard worker, and football is the thing that I think God has blessed me with. I have the ability, and I am going to work my butt off for them and that is all I can say right now."
Denver Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan
On Kory Lichtensteiger
"He is a person that can play both the center and the guard position. We were very impressed with him and the way he has played. We were just hoping that he would be there. Not to often do you get a guy who can play both the center and the guard position. We feel like we got some value there."
On the draft overall
"Overall, I felt good about the draft. Sometimes when you go into the draft, you get a lot of your needs and sometimes you don't. I feel like we were able to get some quality players both offensively and defensively and also able to fill some of the needs that we needed."
On his draft strategy in 2008
"You never really know what is going to happen. It doesn't mean that we haven't talked to a lot of people and they are ready to move and right before our pick, someone else picked a guy that they wanted. We had a few scenarios like that in the draft, but you don't move just to move. If the guy that you want is there, then you stay with the pick. Most of the guys we wanted were there at that time. We had a lot of offers to move, but we felt the value was there to take our pick."
On drafting players with good character
"Most of those guys [with good character] we have on our team. There are always a few exceptions, but that has been a big emphasis since we have been here. Even through those Super Bowl years, there were a couple guys behind the right guys to lead them in the right direction. As we all know, if they don't stand up and do the right things than they won't be with us very long. I am very happy with our draft class and the type of character that we did draft and I think everyone here could tell from the interviews that we have some quality individuals."
On drafting a few players with previous medical issues
"What you do way before you pick them is go into the draft when someone like Lichtensteiger who might have a problem with his shoulder and you find out when he will be able to go. You talk to these doctors in advance, a week before the draft starts to kind of get an idea of when they will be ready. I feel very good about everybody and they should be ready by our June mini camp and some may be ready by the second week of May. We have a lot of time here to get these guys into football shape, get them into all the classes and have them jump into things right away."
On speaking with doctors before drafting a player
"These doctors have been doing this a lot of years. Like Greek (Broncos Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos)--He can tell you almost within a week whether a guy has a three-to-four month injury or when a guy should be back. These guys have been doing this a long time, going through these injuries year after year. There always are probably 100 guys in the draft that don't have a passing grade at that time. You just have to find guys you are comfortable with."
