Chargers Select Paul Oliver In Fourth Round Of Supplemental Draft
July 12, 2007 | Football
"The biggest thing for me was that I was picked by a legitimate Super Bowl contender and I could not be more excited about getting a chance to play for the Chargers," said Oliver. "This marks the end of a great chapter of my life at Georgia and now the chance for a great start in San Diego. I'm just ready to go out there and play."
The NFL supplemental draft started in 1977 and accommodates players who were ineligible for the standard draft but became eligible afterward through special circumstances. Teams making supplemental draft picks have to forfeit a pick in the same round during the next regular NFL draft.
Oliver started 15 games for the Bulldogs from 2004-06, including all 13 last season. The Kennesaw, Ga., native finished with 94 tackles, seven interceptions, eight pass break-ups, five caused fumbles and three sacks in his career and helped lead Georgia to the 2005 Southeastern Conference title.
“We had the opportunity to get a good football player today, and we took it,” said Chargers' General Manager A.J. Smith. “Paul Oliver is very competitive, aggressive, confident player. He’s not cautious about anything he does on the field. You know how we like depth. We’ll add Paul to the mix as a Charger and time will tell.”
The selection of Oliver marks the first time the Chargers have selected a player in a supplemental draft since using a second-round selection in 1998 to take two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jamal Williams.
Four Bulldogs were selected during the NFL draft on April 28-29. Defensive end Quentin Moses (Oakland Raiders, 3rd round, 65th pick), defensive end Charles Johnson (Carolina Panthers, 3rd round, 83rd pick), tight end Martrez Milner (Atlanta Falcons, 4th round, 133rd pick) and offensive tackle Ken Shackleford (St. Louis Rams, 6th round, 190th pick) were all taken during the first six rounds of the draft.
Read the release from the official San Diego Chargers Website by clicking here.
