Detroit Lions Takes South Carolina State's OT Johnny Culbreath in 7th Round

Detroit Lions Johnny Culbreath

ALLEN PARK, Mich.— The Detroit Lions took offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath with what's likely their final pick of this year's NFL draft, No. 209 overall. Culbreath, 6-foot-5, 322 pounds and a four-year starter, is from Robert Porcher's alma matter South Carolina State.

"A little bit of a developmental project but he has all the tools," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

The Lions have made five picks in the draft and don't have any selections remaining as the seventh round ticks down to its conclusion.

2011 NFL Draft: Jim Schwartz Discusses Johnny Culbreath Pick

Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz met with the media to discuss Johnny Culbreath, the team's seventh-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. Via the Lions, here is a transcript of the media session:

On T Johnny Culbreath
"Johnny, four-year starter at South Carolina State, big man, good athlete, lower-level competition, but I spent a lot of time with him. Myself, Dave Sears our area scout, and Jeremiah Washburn our assistant o-line coach went down to South Carolina's workout. We happened to be able to see South Carolina State's also. It was raining so they came over to the indoor facility. They had a really, really good workout and his tape was good so we brought him in here to spend some time with our coaches. We like his size, we like his athletic ability, he's a little bit of a developmental project, but he has the tools. He's a guy that our coaches are very anxious to work with."

On whether he'll be an inside or outside player
"It's probably too early to say. He's played tackle, could play left and right; but there's a possibility to move him to guard. He's a good athlete, bends really well, again, four-year starter. I don't know if this is the gospel truth, but he committed to Florida State out of High School and didn't have the grades, so he ended up at South Carolina State. He's got a pretty good lineage. We didn't pick him because he supposedly committed to Florida State, we picked him based on his tape from South Carolina State, based on his size and based on the workout that he had and also for when we brought him in for a physical. He wasn't at the combine, so we needed to bring him here to get a physical."

NFL Draft 2011: Johnny Culbreath Speaks About Being Picked By Detroit Lions

Shortly after becoming the Detroit Lions' seventh-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, South Carolina State offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath had a conference call with the media. Via the Lions, you can check some quotes from that call below.

On his journey to the NFL
"I had committed to Florida State and ended up going to South Carolina State due to grades and GPA and test scores and stuff. I had a great career there; we were three-time MEAC Championships behind me and my great offensive linemen and great running back corps. and great guys we had there. I had a lot of great achievements there. I was two-time All American; I was also player of the year in our conference my junior year. I had a really great season there. This has all worked out for the better, I guess."

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2010 Division I Football Championship Field Released

A hot Florida A&M University Rattlers team (8-3, 7-1) that just defeated the #7 FCS ranked Bethune Cookman Wildcats 38-27, (10-1, 7-1 MEAC) was not invited. BCU and S.C. State (9-2, 7-1 MEAC) will represent the conference in the playoffs.

INDIANAPOLIS - The field of 20 teams competing for the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship was announced today by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.

Appalachian State University (9-2) tops the bracket as the top seed after capturing the automatic qualifying berth from the Southern Conference. The Mountaineers, who won three consecutive championships from 2005-07, are making their 18th appearance and sixth straight overall.

Second-seeded College of William and Mary (8-3) is making its ninth appearance. The Tribe captured the Colonial Athletic Association automatic berth.

University of Delaware (9-2), which is making its 15th overall tournament appearance, is the number-three seed. The 2003 national champion, the Blue Hens tied William and Mary for the CAA championship.

Montana State University (9-2) is the number-four seed after capturing the Big Sky Conference automatic berth. The Bobcats, the 1984 national champion, are making its fifth appearance and first since 2006.

Rounding out this year’s seeded teams is Eastern Washington University (9-2) with the number-five seed. The Eagles are making its eighth overall appearance.

First-round hosts include Big South automatic qualifier Coastal Carolina (6-5), North Dakota State University (7-4), Missouri Valley Football Conference automatic qualifier University of Northern Iowa (7-4), and Georgia Southern University (7-4).

The top four national seeds will host winners from the first round match-ups. Others hosting second rounds game will be Eastern Washington, Bethune-Cookman University (10-1), who was the automatic qualifier from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State University (9-2) and Stephen F. Austin State University (9-2), who earned the Southland Conference’s automatic bid.

Other automatic qualifiers in the tournament include Robert Morris University (8-2), the Northeast Conference champion, clinched its first trip into the championship. Also making its first trip into the championship is Southeast Missouri State University, winner of the automatic bid from the Ohio Valley Conference. Winning the Patriot League was the Mountain Hawks of Lehigh University (9-2).

Other teams in the field are New Hampshire University (7-4), South Carolina State University (9-2), the defending national champion Villanova University (7-4), Western Illinois University (7-4) and Wofford College (9-2). Along with Southeast Missouri State, North Dakota State and Robert Morris are making their first ever appearance in the championship.

Ten conferences received automatic-qualifying berths: the Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Missouri Valley Football Conference, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference and Southland Conference.

The combination of www.NCAA.com and ESPN’s family of networks will once again provide coverage of all rounds of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship.

Television schedules and games times for all rounds of the 2010 championship will be updated daily at the NCAA Sports web site (www.NCAA.com/football).

The 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game is slated for 7 p.m. Eastern time Friday, January 18, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. ESPN2HD/ESPN3.com will televise the championship game.

FIRST ROUND GAMES

November 27 at Conway, S.C.
Western Illinois (7-4) at Coastal Carolina (6-5)

November 27 at Fargo, N.D.
Robert Morris (8-2) at North Dakota State (7-4)

November 27 at Cedar Falls, Iowa
Lehigh (9-2) at Northern Iowa (7-4)

November 27 at Statesboro, Georgia
South Carolina State (9-2) at Georgia Southern (7-4)

SECOND ROUND GAMES

December 4 at Boone, North Carolina, Noon (ET)
Western Illinois/Coastal Carolina winner at #1 Appalachian State (9-2)

December 4 at Nacogdoches, Texas, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
Villanova (7-4) at Stephen F. Austin (9-2)

December 4 at Cheney, Washington
Southeast Missouri State (9-2) at #5 Eastern Washington (9-2)

December 4 at Bozeman, Montana, 2 p.m. (ET)
Robert Morris/North Dakota State winner at #4 Montana State (9-2)

December 4 at Newark, Delaware
Lehigh/Northern Iowa winner at #3 Delaware (9-2)

December 4 at Daytona Beach, Florida
New Hampshire (7-4) at Bethune-Cookman (10-1)

December 4 at Jacksonville, Alabama, Noon (ET)
Wofford (9-2) at Jacksonville State (9-2)

December 4 at Williamsburg, Virginia
South Carolina St./Georgia Southern winner at #2 William and Mary (8-3)

The 2010 championship field consists of eight automatic qualifiers and eight at-large qualifiers.

Big Sky Conference – #4 Montana St. (9-2)
Big South Conference - Coastal Caro. (6-5)
Colonial Athletic Association - #2 William & Mary (8-3)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference - Bethune-Cookman (10-1)
Missouri Valley Football Conference - UNI (7-4)
Northeast Conference - Robert Morris (8-2)
Ohio Valley Conference - Southeast Mo. St. (9-2)
Patriot League - Lehigh (9-2)
Southern Conference - #1 Appalachian St. (9-2)
Southland Conference- Stephen F. Austin (9-2)

At-Large:

Big Sky Conference - #5 Eastern Washington (9-2)
Colonial Athletic Association - #3 Delaware (9-2)
Colonial Athletic Association - New Hampshire (7-4)
Colonial Athletic Association - Villanova (7-4)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference - South Carolina St. (9-2)
Missouri Valley Football Conference - North Dakota St. (7-4)
Missouri Valley Football Conference - Western Illinois (7-4)
Ohio Valley Conference - Jacksonville St. (9-2)
Southern Conference - Ga. Southern (7-4)
Southern Conference - Wofford (9-2)

NCAA Press Release 11/21/10