| Dez White (AP Photo/John Bazemore) |
NEW YORK (Apr. 15) — Georgia Tech safety Travares Tillman and split end Dez White were among the athletes chosen in the first three rounds of Saturday’s NFL Draft in New York.
Tillman, a 6-2 senior, was selected in the second round by Buffalo. He was the 58th pick overall in the draft. White, a 6-1 junior, was the 69th pick overall and went in the third round to the Chicago Bears.
Tillman, a native of Lyons, Ga., was a two-time all-conference defensive back for Georgia Tech. A three-year starter in the secondary he finished his career with 236 tackles to rank fourth in Tech history among defensive backs. He had seven career interceptions and 17 pass breakups.
White, from Orange Park, Fla., finished the 1999 season with 44 receptions for 860 yards, an ACC-best 19.6-yards-per-catch average, and five touchdowns. He also ranked third in the ACC and 17th nationally with 146.9 yards per game in all-purpose yardage. Last season, he ranked 27th nationally in kickoff returns (23.8 yards per return) and also lined up in the back field on many occasions, running the ball 11 times for 67 yards.
White concluded his three-year tenure on the Flats tied for the Tech record in career touchdown catches with 14, and he ranks second in receiving yards (1,833) and ninth in receptions (90). He has returned more kickoffs (69) for more yards (1,701) than any player in Tech history except Drew Hill, with a career average of 24.7 yards per return.
He made the all-Atlantic Coast Conference second team twice and was the co-MVP of the 1999 Gator Bowl with quarterback Joe Hamilton.
