University of Tennessee Athletics
Cottam, Ainge selected on day two of NFL Draft
April 27, 2008 | Football
NFL Draft Central
BRAD COTTAM
3RD ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (76TH OVERALL)
TIGHT END - TENNESSEE - 6-7 269 - GERMANTOWN, TENNESSEE??
OVERVIEW
Cottam has shown flashes of brilliance for the Volunteers. Along with his younger brother, Jeff, who is 6' 8", they gave the Volunteers the tallest tight end tandem in college football.. Cottam enrolled at Tennessee in 2003, earning Academic SEC Honor Roll recognition while spending the season on the scout team. He appeared in 13 games as a reserve tight end in 2004, coming up with two catches for 34 yards. He appeared in eleven games in 2005, but did not catch any passes. He again earned Academic All-SEC honors. In 2006, Cottam started six of the 13 games. He snared 14 passes for 182 yards (13.0 avg), as his 45-yard reception vs. Vanderbilt was the longest catch by a Tennessee tight end since 2002. He finished the 2007 season with five receptions for 125 yards (25.0 avg), registering his first career touchdown vs. Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. At Evangelical Christian High School, Cottam earned All-Metro Memphis private school team honors as a senior. He was a Super Southern 100 choice by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cottam served as team captain and was a two-year starter at tight end. During his final season, he had 24 receptions for 340 yards and five touchdowns. Against Harding Academy (Ark.), he caught a career-best five passes for 120 yards. He was also a standout basketball player, averaging more than 10 points each of his last two seasons.
CAREER NOTES
Cottam started seven of the 38 games he played in at Tennessee???Caught 21 passes for 341 yards (16.2 avg) and one touchdown???Also recorded three tackles (2 solos)???His 45-yard reception vs. Vanderbilt in 2006 was the longest catch by a Tennessee tight end since Jason Witten???s 48-yarder vs. Arkansas in 2002.
2007 SEASON
Played in the team???s final five games, missing a good portion of the season after suffering a left wrist bone fracture in August camp??? Caught five of 12 passes thrown to him for 125 yards (25.0 avg) and a TD???Three of his receptions produced first downs, as two of his grabs were for longer than 20 yards.
2006 SEASON
Playing alongside his younger brother, Jeff, Cottam was part of the Volunteers??? tight end rotation, starting six of 13 games???Caught a career-high 14 passes for 182 yards (13.0 avg) and recorded one solo tackle.
2005 SEASON
Academic All-SEC selection for the third consecutive year???Played in 11 games as a reserve tight end, but did not catch any passes, as he recorded two tackles on the punt coverage unit.
2004 SEASON
Academic All-SEC pick???Appeared in thirteen games as a reserve tight end, catching two passes for 34 yards???His first career reception was an 18-yarder vs. Nevada-Las Vegas???Added a 16-yard catch in the Louisiana Tech clash.
2003 SEASON
Academic All-SEC selection while spending the season red-shirting on the scout team.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Evangelical Christian (Germantown, Tenn.) High School, playing football for head coach Jim Heinz???Earned All-Metro Memphis private school team honors as a senior???Super Southern 100 choice by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ranked as the 12th-best prospect in the state of Tennessee by Rivals.com, a recruiting service that rated him 44th among the nation???s tight ends???The Knoxville News-Sentinel rated him the state???s eighth-best prospect and the Kingsport Times-News had him ranked tenth on their Super 16 Class of 2003 squad???Served as team captain and was a two-year starter at tight end??? During his final season, he had 24 receptions for 340 yards and five touchdowns???Against Harding Academy (Ark.), he caught a career-best five passes for 120 yards???Was also a standout basketball player, averaging more than 10 points each of his last two seasons.
PERSONAL
Graduated with a degree in International Business and is presently taking post-graduate courses in Sports Studies???Three-time Academic All-Southeastern Conference choice??? Younger brother, Jeff (2005-present) is also a tight end on Tennessee???s squad???Born Bradley Joseph Cottam on 11/28/84???Resides in Germantown, Tennessee.
ERIK AINGE
5TH??ROUND DRAFT SELECTION (162ND OVERALL)
QUARTERBACK??-??6-6??225 - HILLSBORO, ORE.
Overview??
Erik Ainge showed tremendous promise during his freshman season with the Volunteers, but injuries caused him to miss eight games, as he never completed a full schedule in any of his first three years with the team.
The rangy quarterback battled through injury issues and presently ranked third in school history in pass completions (516), pass attempts (854) and touchdown passes (51). He is fourth in school annals with 6,308 passing yards and 6,107 yards in total offense.
Ainge made a long trip from the state of Oregon to the Tennessee campus in 2004. Prior to his arrival, he earned 2003 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was named to the Prep Star All-American squad that year for Glencoe High School. The Northwest Nugget (awarded to top six athletes in Northwest U.S.) and All-State selection as a senior, Erik was also a first-team All-Metro quarterback as both a junior and senior.
He led the state in passing yards, completions and touchdowns during his final season, as he threw for 3,078 yards, 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. His best game that year was against Aloha High, finishing 20-of-28 for 475 yards with five touchdowns and he accounted for 62 points in the first three quarters.
As a junior, Ainge passed for 2,554 yards and 15 touchdowns. He garnered Street & Smith's magazine All-American preseason honorable mention as a guard on the school's basketball team, adding second-team All-Metro honors, as he averaged 16.4 point per game as a junior. He also lettered in baseball, competing as a pitcher, shortstop and first baseman during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
During his first season at Tennessee, Ainge started six of nine games, missing the final four games due to a right shoulder separation. The second-team Freshman All-American choice by The Sporting News added All-Southeastern Conference All-Fresh-man Team and SEC Offensive Freshman of the Year recognition. He added Academic All-SEC accolades, as he completed 109-of-198 passes (55.1%) for 1,452 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was held to 29 yards in losses on 16 rushing attempts, finishing with 1,423 yards in total offense (158.1 yards per game).
As a sophomore, Ainge appeared in eight games, starting vs. Louisiana State, Notre Dame and Memphis. He sat out three games, finishing with a career-low 737 yards on 66-of-145 tosses (45.5%) with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. He turned the ball over three times on five fumbles, was sacked nine times for minus-78 yards and collected 673 yards of total offense on 169 plays (84.1 yards per game).
Ainge almost completed the 2006 season unscathed, but a right ankle sprain vs. South Carolina forced him out of action vs. Arkansas. In 12 games, he hit on 233-of-348 passes (66.3%) for 2,989 yards (third-best season total in school history), 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He fumbled the ball twice, was sacked 13 times for losses totaling 106 yards. He recorded two solo tackles and gained 2,887 yards in total offense on 374 plays (240.6 yards per game). He closed out the year as an Academic All-SEC choice and was a semifinalist for the Manning and O'Brien Awards, given to the nation's best quarterback.
Ainge suffered a broken pinky on his throwing hand in a late August scrimmage, but was recovered by the season opener. He would go on to have his best season at Tennessee, as he connected on 325-of-519 passes (62.6%) for 3,522 yards, 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Never known for his mobility, he lost 32 yards on 16 carries, finishing with 3,490 yards in total offense on 535 plays, an average of 249.29 yards per game.
In 43 games at Tennessee, Ainge started 35 contests. He connected on 700-of-1,210 attempts (57.85%) for 8,700 yards, 72 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He rushed 82 times for minus-227 yards (minus-2.8 average) and a score, adding two solo tackles. On 1,292 plays, he amassed 8,473 yards in total offense. He was sacked 30 times for losses of 262 yards and lost seven of 15 fumbles.
Career Notes??
Ainge ranks third in school history with 6,107 yards total offense, topped by Peyton Manning (11,201 yards, 1994-97) and Casey Clausen (9,577 yards, 2000-03)...His 2,887 yards in total offense during 2006 is the seventh-best season total in Tennessee annals, while his 3,490 yards in 2007 rank second behind Peyton Manning (3,789 in 1997)...His 2007 total offense yardage of 3,490 yards placed eighth on the Southeastern Conference season-record chart...Ainge threw for 8,700 yards during his Vols career, the third-best all-time total in Tennessee history behind Manning (11,201 yards) and Clausen (9,707)...His 2,989 yards passing in 2006 rank fourth and his 3,522 yards rank second on the school's single-season list, topped by Manning's 3,819 yards in 1997...His 733 pass completions rank third in school history behind Manning (863) and Clausen (775), while his 1,210 pass attempts also rank third in Tennessee annals, topped again by Manning (1,381) and Clausen (1,270)...In SEC history, his 700 completions rank twelfth and his 1,210 attempts rank tenth on the all-time record lists...Only Manning (89, 19994-97) and Clausen (75, 2000-03) threw for more touchdowns in a Tennessee career than Ainge's 72...His 72 touchdown tosses tied David Greene of Georgia (2001-04) for 10th on the SEC all-time record chart...His 325 pass completions in 2007 set a school season-record and are topped only by Tim Couch of Kentucky (400 in 1998 and 363 in 1997) on the conference career-record list...It also broke the old Vol record of 287 by Peyton Manning in 1997...His 519 pass attempts in 2007 topped Manning's previous school season-record of 477 in 1997 and rank fourth in SEC annals behind Jared Lorenzen of Kentucky (559 in 2000) and Tim Couch of Kentucky (553 in 1998 and 547 in 1997)...Ainge's 31 touchdown passes in 2007 are topped only by Peyton Manning's 36 in 1997 on the school's season-record list...His 32 pass completions vs. California in the 2007 season opener was the eighth-best game total in school history...His 47 pass attempts in the 2007 California clash rank 10th on the Vols' single-game chart...Produced a string of 11 consecutive games of throwing at least one touchdown pass (Sept. 5, 2004-Sept. 17, 2005), the fourth-best string in school history behind Heath Shuler (18, from Oct. 17, 1992-Jan. 1, 1994), Tony Robinson (13, from Sept. 29, 1984-Oct. 12, 1985) and Casey Clausen (12, from Nov. 3, 2001-Oct. 5, 2002)...His string of 15 consecutive pass completions in the 2006 Air Force game was the second-longest streak in Tennessee history behind Tee Martin's 24 (vs. Alabama/at South Carolina 10/24-31 in 1998)...Ainge's streak of 136 pass attempts without an interception in 2006 is topped only by Casey Claussen (143 in 2003) on the school's record list...His 84-yard pass to Robert Meachem vs. Memphis in 2006 was the fifth-longest completion in school annals behind Casey Clausen (90 yards to Mark Jones vs. Georgia in 2003), Andy Kelly (87 to Carl Pickens vs. Auburn in 1991), Alan Cockrell (85 to Clyde Duncan vs. Vanderbilt in 1983) and Jimmy Streater (85 to Anthony Hancock vs. Vanderbilt in 1979)...Threw for a career-high 397 yards vs. Kentucky in 2007, the sixth-best game total in school history behind Peyton Manning (523 vs. Kentucky in 1997, 492 vs. Florida in 1996, 408 vs. Northwestern in 1997 and 399 vs. Southern Mississippi in 1997) and Andy Kelly (399 vs. Notre Dame in 1990)...His seven touchdown passes in the 2007 Kentucky game set a school game-record and tied the Southeastern Conference mark held by Terry Dean of Florida (vs. New Mexico State in 1994), Tim Couch of Kentucky (vs. Indiana in 1997 and vs. Louisville in 1998) and Doug Johnson of Florida (vs. Central Michigan in 1997).
High School??
Attended Glencoe (Hillsboro, Ore.) High School, playing football for head coach Craig Ruecker...Earned 2003 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year honors and was named to the Prep Star All-American squad that year...The Northwest Nugget (awarded to top six athletes in Northwest U.S.) and All-State selection as a senior...First-team All-Metro quarterback as both a junior and senior...Led the state in passing yards, completions and touchdowns during his final season, as he threw for 3,078 yards, 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions...His best game that year was against Aloha High, finishing 20-of-28 for 475 yards with five touchdowns and he accounted for 62 points in three quarters of action...As a junior, Ainge passed for 2,554 yards and fifteen touchdowns...Garnered Street & Smith's magazine All-American preseason honorable mention as a guard on the school's basketball team...Added second-team All-Metro honors, as he averaged 16.4 points per game as a junior...Also lettered in baseball, competing as a pitcher, shortstop and first baseman during his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
