RICHMOND, VA - After a history-making night during the first round of the NFL draft, more Virginia history was made on day two.
On Friday, former Hopewell standout Darrell Taylor was selected in the second round, 48th overall, by the Seattle Seahawks.
Taylor, who played College Football at Tennessee, is now the highest drafted player ever from Hopewell and the first Blue Devil selected since Monsanto Pope in 2002.
"I'm just really proud of Darrell," said Hopewell Head Coach Ricky Irby. "He's overcome a lot of obstacles in his life. He lost his Mother to Breast Cancer when he was a Sophomore. He's just overcome so much in his life and he has earned everything that he has gotten and he has worked really hard for it."
Taylor finished second in the SEC with 8.5 sacks while playing the season with a stress fracture in his shin.
"They're going to get a tenancious player," Irby said. "A guy that can rush the passer. A guy that can play the run. I think his best attribute is his ability to get to the quarterback."
He joins a Seahawks team that has several players with ties to the 804 area. Russell Wilson played quarterback at Collegiate, Duane Brown was a offensive lineman at Hermitage, Michael Robinson played quarterback at Varina and won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks and running back C.J. Prosise grew up in Petersburg.
"It just shows that all their dreams can come true," Irby said. "If they put in the work and do the things they need to do, and they can get there from Hopewell."
