Arena League enters NFL draft discussion

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Apr 27, 2008 | by Associated Press

His cousin Tyronza Witter is a die-hard Atlanta Falcons fan pumped to be at her first draft, with the Falcons on the clock and her cousin an outside possibility for them, even though quarterback was Atlanta's strongest need.

"They lost their leader," Witter said. "Atlanta has lost its edge since (Michael) Vick has gone."

A pick after the Falcons addressed that need by taking Matt Ryan, Oakland selected McFadden fourth overall.

Witter, who had been nervous for her cousin, was gleeful afterward, as happy for McFadden as she was to be at the NFL's top offseason spectacle. As any fan at the draft might do, she made sure to go meet No. 1 overall pick Jake Long of Michigan.

"He is so cool," she said.

Meanwhile, McFadden's sister, Gaylon Muhammad, already has the bare bones of her brother's schedule between now and the first day of the season figured out. Part of that can be chalked up to good preparation. But the rhythms of the offseason have long been familiar to her.

"I pretty much follow the NFL," said Muhammad, who grew up in Little Rock favoring the Dallas Cowboys because they were close by, but is a fan of the league in general. Now, of course, she's a Raiders fan; McFadden's stepmom was one before anyone else.

Ella McFadden was drawn to the Raiders back when Marcus Allen played for them.

"I've always been a Raiders fan," she said.

Noticing that Allen was at the Doak Walker Award ceremony she attended with Darren, Ella made sure to go meet him.

"It was really awesome," she said. "He probably thought that I was a stalker."