Rebels' Sawyer chosen by Vikings

Locals Ruegamer, Glover also selected on second day

Talance Sawyer was getting antsy.

There in his Four Seasons Hotel room inside Mandalay Bay on Sunday, he waited ... and waited. The call he had been dreaming about his whole life hadn't come yet. The phone was quiet.

Sawyer, one of the top defensive linemen in UNLV history, was with his friends and family, watching the NFL Draft on ESPN. He was nervously anticipating the call that could send him to the NFL.

"I was getting impatient," he said.

Then his name flashed on the television. His phone rang two seconds later. "Everybody went crazy," he said.

Sawyer was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round as the 185th overall selection.

Others with local ties taken in the draft were Arizona State center Grey Ruegamer (Bishop Gorman High), who went to the Miami Dolphins in the third round, and Utah linebacker Phil Glover (Clark High), who went to the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round.

Former UNLV and Green Valley High quarterback Jon Denton was not drafted.

"It's an agonizing process," Sawyer said. "But once they called my name, I felt relief."

Sawyer became the first Rebel taken in the NFL Draft since 1995, when receiver Henry Bailey was picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round. He is the first UNLV defensive end selected since 1982, when Todd Liebenstein went to the Washington Redskins in the fourth round.

Sawyer, who played tight end as a freshman, finished second on the Rebels' career tackles for loss list with 50.

"Talance is one of the best athletes in the draft," Vikings head coach Dennis Green told ESPN after the pick. "He has a great vertical leap and tremendous speed. He's a defensive end who can rush the passer."

Entering the draft, he was profiled as a "tweener," meaning his size is between that of an NFL defensive end and outside linebacker. The Vikings intend to keep Sawyer at end. Now that he has a position, he can focus on filling that mold.

"I had been staying at 250, 255 pounds before the draft so I could go either way," said Sawyer, who stands a shade below 6-foot-2. "Now that I know I'm going to play end I can bulk up. I want to play at about 260 pounds. Now I can put on that weight and concentrate on elevating my game."

But it will be difficult for Sawyer to see considerable playing time next year. The NFC Central Division champs possess a stable defensive line anchored by John Randle. The Vikings also took Michigan State defensive lineman Dimitrius Underwood in the first round.

"A lot of people talk about the conversion that he goes from pass rusher to a (strong side) linebacker," Green said. "He's a guy who can make our team through special teams."

Sawyer will visit with Green today at the Vikings' headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minn. While there, he hopes to meet with a fellow former Rebel: quarterback Randall Cunningham.

"I'm sure (Cunningham) will have some things to share with me, some personal things" Sawyer said. "He knows how it was, having come out of UNLV. Certainly, he can help me do what I need to do to make the transition."

Ruegamer figures to see much more action early on. The Dolphins have been looking for someone to help starter Tim Ruddy. Ruegamer will fly to Miami on Thursday. Mini-camp starts Friday.

Ruegamer, who was drafted Saturday, took a different draft-day approach than Sawyer. Ruegamer gathered with friends and family in San Diego, where he had been working out, and watched the first round as a fan -- just to see where all the quarterbacks went.

"We sat around the TV, had some beers, played some cards, went swimming and had a good time," he said.

"But I was real anxious to find out where the next couple years of my life were going to be because it's so much out of your control. It was an odd feeling to have someone else controlling your fate."

Ruegamer was shocked to hear Denton did not get drafted.

A total of 13 quarterbacks were selected, including Chris Griesen of Northwest Missouri State and Kevin Daft of UC Davis.

Denton, who was unavailable for comment Sunday, declared himself draft eligible after his junior year at Eastern Kentucky. Many draft analysts said Denton was not ready and his multiple suspensions at UNLV and EKU would keep teams away.

Denton's top receiver, Rondel Menendez, was taken by Atlanta in the seventh round.

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