Blue Raiders making dreams reality...

With the 2011 NFL Regular Season about to get started and final roster cuts being made, the success of four former Blue Raiders so far in this NFL season made us pause a moment and think about a regular saying around the football offices. Some may consider it just coach speak or a catchy recruiting cliche when you hear it, but there are four guys on NFL rosters today that are showing that Coach Stockstill's words carry some pretty sharp teeth. Coach Stockstill is known for his strong belief that Middle Tennessee is a special place and that the program being built here is doing some great things. He sums all that up by always saying, "You can accomplish all your goals here at Middle Tennessee. You can graduate, win conference championships, go to bowl games and play in the NFL all by coming to Middle Tennessee." Never before have there been better examples of that statement than the four Blue Raiders that just took their places on NFL rosters. Don't be mistaken, making the NFL isn't the only criteria for labeling a Blue Raider a success and singling these guys out in no way diminishes all the other Blue Raiders that have achieved success on the field and in the classroom to help build the program to what it is today. These guys are simply shining examples of how prophetic and true Coach Stockstill's words are if you buy into this program's philosophy, use the university's resources to the fullest and allow your time here to mold and shape you into the person you were meant to become all along. If you search the internet for these guys the common theme between all of them is how they stand out from the crowd with their dedication, hard work, extra time and effort on the details, professionalism and how they seize every opportunity. These guys have been able to turn their dreams into reality in every aspect of their life, on the field and in the classroom, because they bought into the philosophy here and during their time on campus built the foundation for the men they have become. Lets take a look at what these former Blue Raiders have accomplished to really see if the "proof is in the pudding".....

Erik Walden-

• 2006 Motor City Bowl
• 2006 Sun Belt Championship
• Sun Belt All-Conference Player
• School leader in Sacks
  
• Graduated from Middle Tennessee State University
• Drafted in 6th round of 2008 NFL Draft
  
• 2011 Super Bowl Champion with Packers
  

Phillip Tanner-

• 2006 Motor City Bowl
• 2009 New Orleans Bowl
• 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl
• 2006 Sun Belt Championship
• Graduated from Middle Tennessee State University
• Undrafted free agent in 2011
• Selected to Dallas Cowboys 53 man roster

Jamari Lattimore-

• 2009 New Orleans Bowl
  
• 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl
• Sun Belt All-Conference Player
• Second in career sacks (behind Walden)
  
• Graduated from Middle Tennessee State University
• Undrafted free agent in 2011
• Selected to Green Bay Packers 53 man roster

Rod Issac-

• 2009 New Orleans Bowl
  
• 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl
• Sun Belt All-Conference Player
• Graduated from Middle Tennessee State University
• Drafted in 5th round of 2011 NFL Draft by Jacksonville Jaguars