Three former St. Thomas Aquinas players were selected in the 2014 NFL Draft on Friday night in New York City. They were Florida State cornerback Lamarcus Joyner, Miami offensive lineman Brandon Linder and Wisconsin safety Dez Southward.
Joyner played for Miami Southwest from 2006 to 2008 and transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas for his senior year in 2009. The Raiders were undefeated that season 13-0 until they lost on the road to Bradenton Manatee in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal. He then attended FSU where they won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in 2012 and 2013. Joyner was also victorious this past January in the BCS Championship game over Auburn University as the Seminoles went undefeated at 14-0 and captured the national title.
He was chosen by the St. Louis Rams in the second round with the 41st overall pick. Running back Tre Mason was another local football player who was picked by the Rams on Friday night in the third round as the 75th overall pick. He previously played for the Park Vista Cobras and the Auburn Tigers.
Linder was picked in third round as the 93rd overall selection by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was an offensive lineman for St. Thomas Aquinas on their varsity squad from 2007 until 2009 where they went 42-2 during that time. He contributed for the Raiders to win back-to-back FHSAA Class 5A state championships in 2007 and 2008. He moved on to the University of Miami and played in 49 games in four seasons for the Hurricanes from 2010 to 2013.
Southward played only one season as a senior with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders as a defensive back in 2008. He helped them go undefeated 15-0 as they won the Class 5A state championship over Lakeland and were also named national champions. After being redshirted as a freshman at Wisconsin, he was with the Badgers from 2010 to 2013 and played in three Rose Bowls. Southward was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round as the 68th overall pick.
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