This Eagle has landed

Former HPA star drafted by Philadelphia

by Joe Ferraro

West Hawaii Today

sports@westhawaiitoday.com

Saturday, April 24, 2010 7:12 AM HST

The Philadelphia Eagles selected 2005 Hawaii Prep graduate Daniel Teo-Nesheim in the third round of the NFL draft Friday.

Philadelphia used the draft's 86th selection, the 22nd pick in the third round, to draft Teo-Nesheim. The Eagles obtained that pick in a series of trades that allowed them to stockpile draft picks.

Philadelphia started by trading a second-round pick (No. 55) to the Dallas Cowboys for the 59th selection and a fourth-rounder (No. 125). Then the Eagles shipped No. 59 to the Cleveland Browns for a third-round pick (No. 71) and two fifth-rounders (Nos. 134 and 146). Finally, Philadelphia traded No. 71 to the Green Bay Packers for the third-round pick (No. 86) it used to take Teo-Nesheim and a fourth-rounder (No. 122).

Teo-Nesheim became the fourth Big Island high school football player selected in the draft. He joins HPA's Max Unger (second round, Seattle Seahawks, 2009), Kealakehe's Jesse Mahelona (fifth round, Tennessee Titans, 2006) and Honokaa's Kaulana Noa (fourth round, St. Louis Rams, 2000).

Before the draft, Teo-Nesheim visited team facilities of the Eagles and the New England Patriots.

Teo-Nesheim could not be reached for comment Friday night.

When reached by phone at 8:35 PDT, Unger said he had not talked to his former HPA teammate after hearing about the Eagles drafting Teo-Nesheim.

The news did not surprise Unger, who predicted an NFL team would draft Teo-Nesheim on the day the Seahawks took him in the second round last year. At the time, Unger's agent, Carter Chow, had told him that NFL teams were already interested in Teo-Nesheim, who recorded 194 tackles and a school record 30 sacks at the University of Washington.

"He's the all-time sacks leader at the University of Washington,'' Unger said. "Coming from a program with that much history and players that have gone on to do pretty big things, that's saying a lot."

Unger and Teo-Nesheim played under current Parker Athletic Director Tom Goodspeed at HPA.

Goodspeed said Friday that Teo-Nesheim had a goal of playing in the NFL since he was a sophomore.

"It's great for Big Island football and Big Island athletics," Goodspeed said. "It's great for everybody."