Joe McMahon enters NFL supplemental draft
The NFL Draft is not the only way a college football player can enter the professional ranks.
Former CMU offensive lineman Joe McMahon is hoping that pertains to him as well. McMahon left school for unspecified personal reasons after last season, said football coach Butch Jones. On June 6, Pro Football Weekly reported McMahon had academic issues that forced him to leave school.
However, Jones said McMahon was in good academic standing when he left the program.
"Joe McMahon was eligible when he left here, so he didn't really have any academic issues," Jones said. "He left here on good academic standing. He had some personal and family issues that came up and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors."
McMahon submitted paper work to enter the supplemental draft during the first week of June. He did not return a message left at his home to comment.
The supplemental draft, which is held July 16, was created for players determined ineligible to compete in the following college football season. The draft is conducted by e-mail, where teams make silent bids for players - usually a very small group enter - using draft picks by round. The highest bidder is awarded the player, but has to forfeit the corresponding draft pick in next year's draft.
So, if an NFL team submitted a fourth round pick to select a player and it was the highest bid, they get the player, but give up a fourth round pick in the following year's NFL Draft. Draft order is determined by a weighted system that breaks the 32 NFL teams into three groups. The first group has teams with six or fewer wins, then a group with non-playoff teams and the remaining 12 teams who made the playoffs are in the last group.
Junior offensive lineman Colin Miller started the first five games of the last season at center before missing four games to injury. McMahon was his replacement, moving inside to center after starting the first five games at right guard. He finished the season starting seven of the final eight games at center, while Miller moved to guard.
"Very versatile player," Miller said. "He's very powerful. He can knock you on your butt."
McMahon played two seasons at Joliet Junior College before transfering to Iowa State. Before playing for the Cyclones, he transferred again to CMU. Because of the transfer from a Division I school, McMahon sat out the 2007 season.
Miller said that motivated McMahon to get playing time the following season.
"He's a competitor. Leaving Central, if he wants it that much, he'll get it," he said. "He showed it in the past. He came here, he wanted to play."
Miller is expected to start at center for the Chippewas, who will lose three members of the offensive line. Jones said he is expecting a lot out of the replacements.
"I'm very, very confident in those individuals," he said. "I think they're having a tremendous summer. The big key (is) that we continue to develop each and every person on the offensive line from a depth standpoint; you have the next-man-in mentality."
Miller said he is optimistic with the incumbent new starters and he is relishing the negative publicity around the offensive line.
"We're taking it a day at a time," he said. "They're getting their weight up. They hold themselves accountable everyday and they train their asses off. We know how good we are. People are speculating negatively on a season that hasn't come yet."
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