Cardinals sign five draft choices
Jul 29, 2011, 9:38 PM | Updated: 10:43 pm
Tempe – The Arizona Cardinals announced that the team has signed the following five draft choices to four-year contracts: Texas linebacker Sam Acho (4th round) Connecticut fullback Anthony Sherman (5th round), North Carolina linebacker Quan Sturdivant (6th round), UCLA defensive tackle David Carter (6th round) and San Diego State wide receiver Demarco Sampson (7th round).
Acho earned first-team All-Big 12 honors and was a third-team All-American selection by the Associated Press after collecting 59 tackles, nine sacks, five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries while starting all 12 games as a senior.
The Dallas, TX native finished his college career by appearing in 50 games with 148 tackles, 23.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, and eight passes defensed. He started all 26 games in his final two seasons at Texas.
Sherman served as the lead blocker at Connecticut for four different running backs who rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season, including 2010 Big East Offensive Player of the Year Jordan Todman.
He was a two-time team captain and a three-year starter at fullback. The North Attleboro, MA native concluded his colligate career with 45 receptions for 414 yards and one touchdown to go along with 17 carries for 61 yards.
He also had 63 tackles, recovered two fumbles and forced a fumble on special teams and 219 knockdown blocks and 38 TD-resulting blocks on offense.
Sturdivant led the Tar Heels in tackles in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He finished third on the team last season with 61 tackles, a career-best three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss last in eight games.
He was a key part of a run defense that ranked 22nd in the nation in 2010. As a junior in 2009, Sturdivant became the first UNC linebacker to earn All-ACC first-team honors since 1997.
He finished his collegiate career with 309 tackles, seven sacks, 27.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions, nine passes defensed, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and seven quarterback pressures in 46 games.
Carter started all 12 games last season as a senior and was the defensive recipient of UCLA’s Kenneth S. Washington Award as the team’s most outstanding senior.
He ranked sixth on the team in 2010 with a career-high 41 tackles and added 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss.
Carter finished his collegiate career with 66 tackles, 6.5 sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble in 40 career games.
Sampson earned All-Mountain West Conference first-team honors last year after starting all 13 games and finishing with a career-high 67 receptions for 1,220 yards and eight touchdowns.
He finished second in the MWC in receptions and second in the conference and 10th nationally in receiving yards. He also posted six contests with more than 100 receiving yards last season.
The Chula Vista, CA native finished his San Diego State career with 146 receptions for 2,242 yards and 18 touchdowns in 48 career games.
