Seniors Raveche, Tucker called to join Norman at NFL training camps

Princeton is no Ohio State when it comes to having its players drafted into the National Football League. This year was no exception.

But for the first time since Jason Garrett had his name called in 1990, the Tigers did, in fact, have a player drafted. That took place late Sunday evening when the Seattle Seahawks took senior offensive tackle Dennis Norman in the seventh round of the NFL draft.

And Norman was not the only Tiger to receive a call from the NFL. Senior offensive tackle John Raveche and senior offensive guard Ross Tucker went undrafted, but were later signed and invited to the training camps of other NFL teams. Raveche signed with the New York Giants while Tucker will go to Washington with the Redskins.

For Norman, being drafted marks the pinnacle of a career at Princeton which includes three first team All-Ivy selections. Despite a dominating career at Princeton, though, Norman still was not positive whether or not he would be drafted until he finally heard his name called. The selection comes with a price — Norman will no longer be able to compete for Princeton's track and field team.

"I thought I had a pretty good chance," said Norman. "I had been talking with other teams and my agent, so I thought I'd be able to go. I really didn't know how high up I'd go, though."

And one does not know where he will go until his name is finally announced. He can only get a vague idea from various sources such as the agent or the team, but it all remains a mystery until draft day.

"The teams come in and only work you out, so you don't really know how interested they are, but you can guess by how many times they work you out on how interested they are," said Norman. "I thought other teams were more interested in me than the Seahawks, though, which were the first team to work with me."

Norman, Raveche, and Tucker will not be the only rookies from the Ancient Eight in training camp this year. Immediately after Norman was chosen, two other Ivy Leaguers — defensive back Than Merrill and tight end Eric Johnson, both from Yale — were taken one after another. Those three draft picks mark the most chosen in the NFL draft from Ivy League schools since 1982.

Usually, professional teams do not want to spend a draft pick on a player from the Ancient Eight due to the relatively low level of league competition. Teams instead sign the Ivy League player as a free agent after the draft and make him prove himself in the training camp, such as in the case of Raveche and Tucker.

"It's great that we all have a shot," said Norman. "We've been working real hard the last few weeks and we finally have a shot."

Their shots will come later this summer when training camp finally begins and the three will see if they have what it takes to make the team.

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