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Sutton Invited to Cleveland Browns' Mini-Camp
» ClevelandBrowns.com Feature (bottom half of article) Tony Sutton (Akron, Ohio / Archbishop Hoban), who broke four NCAA Div. III national records and earned All-American honors the last three seasons with The College of Wooster football team, will be given an opportunity to showcase his talents in front of a National Football League coaching staff this weekend, as he will be given a free agent tryout by the Cleveland Browns, announced the organization late Thursday. Sutton and Cleveland’s other drafted and undrafted rookies – a total of 50 players – will be participating at the Browns’ mini-camp from April 29-May 1, held at the team’s workout facility in Berea, Ohio. He is one of just two running backs who will be in attendance, with the University of North Carolina’s Chad Scott being the other. “First of all, I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for him that he’s earned,” commented Mike Schmitz, Wooster’s head coach and offensive coordinator. “We’re all confident that he’ll account himself very well. He has at the Aztec Bowl, the Hula Bowl, and all three seasons here at The College of Wooster.” “If you look around at rosters in the NFL, those guys are (obviously) pretty good at evaluating talent. So, I think it’s key that he’s been invited. He’s distinguished himself … and that’s pretty significant.” Sutton is looking to become the first Fighting Scot to make it onto an NFL roster since offensive lineman Blake Moore in the early 1980s. Moore was also an undrafted free agent, signing with Cincinnati in 1980 and playing six seasons in the pros with the Bengals, who played in Super Bowl XVI during his tenure, and the Green Bay Packers.
Sutton finished his three years at Wooster (he played at Div. II University of Findlay as a freshman), with Div. III career records for rushing yards per game (187.1), rushing touchdowns per game (2.5), total touchdowns per game (2.7), and scoring (16.0 ppg). In fact, his 16.0 points-per-game was an NCAA all-divisions record, and he also became the first player in NCAA football history to lead all-divisions in rushing, scoring, and all-purpose yardage in back-to-back seasons. Statistically, Sutton, a consensus first-team All-American as a junior and senior and two-time finalist for Div. III Player-of-the-Year awards, totaled 5,613 rushing yards, 76 rushing touchdowns, 80 total touchdowns, 480 points, and 6,415 all-purpose yards – all Wooster and North Coast Athletic Conference records. He ended up No. 5 in Div. III in total rushing and scoring, and was the third player in the division to join the “80-touchdown club,” despite playing just 30 games. A review of NFL active rosters in mid-December revealed there were 18 players from Div. III schools. |
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