PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 27, 2012) –Rutgers junior All-America wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (South Brunswick, N.J.)
was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2012
NFL Draft Friday evening. The Bengals drafted Sanu with the 83rd overall
pick.
“There really isn’t anything Mo can’t do on the football field,” said Rutgers head football coach Kyle Flood. “He embodies what our players are all about – he is smart, fast and tough. For
all the reasons the NFL loves Ray Rice, they will love Mo. The
Cincinnati Bengals are getting a terrific person – and player – in Mo
Sanu.”
Sanu joins a Bengals squad that features former Rutgers All-America running back Brian Leonard on its roster. The last third round draft pick for the Scarlet Knights was OL Jeremy Zuttah (Tampa Bay) in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Bengals drafted a Rutgers player for the first time since selecting consensus All-America TE Marco Battaglia in the 1996 NFL Draft.
Sanu,
who left Rutgers a year early, is the fourth Scarlet Knight to forego
his final year of eligibility since 2007. The three Scarlet Knights
prior to Sanu who elected to forego their final year of eligibility
under Schiano’s watch have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success at the
next level. Ray Rice left Rutgers following his junior season in
2007 and was a second round draft selection of the Baltimore Ravens in
the 2008 NFL Draft. Kenny Britt declared for the 2009 NFL Draft and was a first round pick of the Tennessee Titans while Anthony Davis was selected with the 11th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
Sanu finished
his career as Rutgers’ and the BIG EAST’s all-time leader in career
receptions with 210 after he moved past current NFL running back Brian
Leonard (204) in Rutgers’ 27-13 victory over Iowa State in the 2011 New
Era Pinstripe Bowl. Sanu was part of two Rutgers’ bowl victories as the
Scarlet Knights own the nation’s longest current bowl winning streak at
five games with Mississippi State.
The
2011 Maxwell Club Tri-State Player of the Year, Sanu ended the 2011
season with 115 receptions (school and BIG EAST record) for 1,206 yards.
The 1,206 yards receiving place Sanu third in RU single-season history
and eighth in BIG EAST single-season history. He is currently fourth
nationally with 115 receptions and 69 of his receptions in 2011 went for
first downs.
A
unanimous All-BIG EAST selection in 2011, Sanu was named a Fourth Team
All-America selection by Phil Steele and an honorable mention
All-America pick by SI.com. Sanu won two major team awards in 2011 as he
was named the team’s most valuable offensive player in addition to
winning the Homer Hazel Trophy as the team’s most valuable player.
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