April 30, 2011
Aztec NFL Draft Central
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State wide receiver DeMarco Sampson was selected in the seventh round of the National Football League Draft on Saturday afternoon by the Arizona Cardinals. Sampson, a first-team All-Mountain West Conference selection and an honorable mention All-American by SI.com, ranked second in the conference in receptions and in receiving yards this past season, and was ninth nationally in receiving yards per game (93.85).
Sampson was selected with the 46th selection of the seventh round and 249th overall. Sampson was selected one day after teammate Vincent Brown went in the third round of the draft on Friday. This is the fourth time in the last six seasons that at least two San Diego State student-athletes were selected in the NFL Draft. Sampson also becomes the fifth SDSU wide receiver taken in the last eight drafts.
A native of Chula Vista, Calif., Sampson overcame numerous injuries to produce an impressive junior season in 2009 and a spectacular senior season campaign in 2010. As a junior, he caught 62 passes for 851 yards and eight touchdowns and earned second-team all-league honors. Last season, Sampson produced six 100-yard receiving efforts, catching 67 passes for 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns.
In 48 career games, he had 146 catches to his credit for 2,242 receiving yards. He ends his career 11th on the school's reception list and ninth on the receiving yards list. His 257 receiving yards on 15 catches against Colorado State are the ninth highest total in San Diego State history.
Sampson becomes the first San Diego State player chosen by the Cardinals franchise since it moved from St. Louis. The last Aztec player selected by the franchise was tight end Robert Awalt in the third round of the 1987 draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.