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PACKERS SIGN TOP TWO DRAFT PICKS, DEFENSIVE LINEMEN HOLLIDAY, BROWN
posted 6/12/98
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| Vonnie Holliday |
The Green Bay Packers today officially bolstered their defensive line by simultaneously signing their top two picks in the 1998 National Football League draft, first round selection Vonnie Holliday of North Carolina and third round choice Jonathan Brown of Tennessee, Vice President of Administration/Chief Financial Officer Michael R. Reinfeldt announced.
In keeping with club policy, contractual terms were not disclosed.
The 19th player chosen in the draft, the 6-5, 296-pound Holliday was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection at defensive tackle last season but has been projected as the potential starter at right end with the Packers, where he would replace Gabe Wilkins, now a San Francisco 49er.
Vonnie Holliday talks about his signing (1.4 MB Quicktime Movie)
A draft day trade, which saw General Manager Ron Wolf deal the team's first (29th) and second round (60th) selections to the Miami Dolphins, enabled the Packers to move up to secure Holliday, rated in a major pre-draft evaluation as one of the top ten players available.
Defensive Coordinator Fritz Shurmur, impressed with the skills Holliday has displayed in two offseason minicamps, says of him, "He brings athleticism and an intensity level with a motor that's always running. He has the ability to do athletically, everything that you need done on the defensive line at both the inside and outside positions. We expect him to be a big contributor this year."
Holliday, nicknamed 'Chocolate Thunder,' was a four-year letterwinner for North Carolina's Tar Heels, starting the last two-and-a-half years. He played in 46 games overall, with 28 starts, and amassed 162 tackles (83 solo), including 11 sacks and 28 for loss. In addition, he was credited with 6 forced fumbles and 11 passes defensed. He also played in four bowl games, with two starts.
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| Jonathan Brown |
Born Dimetry Giovonni Holliday in Camden, S.C., he starred in three sports at Camden High School, winning 11 letters overall (four in football and basketball and three in baseball), earning all-state honors in football as a senior.
Brown, the 90th selection in the draft, brings exceptional pass-rushing talents to the Green Bay defense. The 6-4, 265-pound former Volunteer, lining up at both defensive end positions over his career, registered 25 quarterback sacks at Tennessee, good for third place in school annals behind the Packers' Reggie White (32) and former teammate Leonard Little (28).
Shurmur also is high on Brown, observing, "He has unique abilities and skills as a pass rusher at the outside position as a defensive end. He also, however, has demonstrated the ability to be able to play against the run in the base defense. We are certainly not looking at him as purely a situational player. We are looking at him as a candidate for a defensive end position...We expect him to challenge that way."
At Tennessee, Brown played in 45 career games, with 26 starts. Overall, he posted 115 tackles (74 solo), 4 fumble recoveries, 6 forced fumbles, 2 passes defensed and 8 tackles for loss.
Earlier, the 23-year-old Tulsa, Okla., native won All-America selection by Super Prep and Blue Chip Illustrated as a senior at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa. Like Holliday, he was a three-sport star and a winner of 10 letters (four in football and three each in basketball and track).
With the signing of Holliday and Brown, the Packers now have three of their seven 1998 draft selections under contract. Fullback Edwin Watson of Purdue, the team's seventh and final choice, was signed to a two-year contract Thursday.
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