Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year Picked at No. 12 by Buffalo Bills
BERKELEY - Former University of California standout running back Marshawn Lynch was selected with the No. 12 pick of the first round of the NFL Draft on Saturday by the Buffalo Bills. The 2006 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, Lynch is the highest Golden Bear draft pick since Andre Carter was chosen No. 7 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2001. In program history, only eight California players have been selected higher than the No. 12 overall pick.
Lynch departed California after three seasons as the school's second-leading rusher with 3,230 yards in his three-year career. He scored 35 touchdowns in 35 career games and had a school-record 17 career 100-yard rushing games. In addition to becoming just the second Golden Bear to run for 1,000 yards in multiple seasons, Lynch was rated as the No. 1 running back in the nation by SI.com in October. In 2006, he led the Pac-10 in rushing yards (1,356), touchdowns (15) and all-purpose yards (1,785). During Lynch's time in Berkeley, California posted a 28-9 (.757) record, including a pair of bowl victories. Lynch was the Most Valuable Player of the 2005 Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl after running for 194 yards and three touchdowns, as well as being the co-MVP of the 2006 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl when he ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bears to a 45-10 victory over Texas A&M. Cal's 10 wins this year give it two 10-win seasons in three years; the Golden Bears have been ranked in the top 10 in each of Lynch's three seasons with the program. In addition to being a powerful, bruising runner with outstanding quickness, Lynch has proven to be a potent receiver and an outstanding blocker in the backfield. He tallied 68 receptions for 600 yards with six touchdowns in his career.
As a sophomore, Lynch established himself as one of the top running backs in the country with 1,246 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He ranked seventh nationally with 124.6 rushing yards per game. While playing behind current NFL running back JJ Arrington as a freshman in 2004, Lynch carried 71 times for 628, an amazing average of 8.8 yards per rush. Lynch was a nationally-rated All-American at Oakland Tech High School, where he rushed for over 2,000 yards with 33 touchdowns in 10 games as a senior. In his final prep season, he recorded 10 touchdowns in two playoff games.
California now has had 22 first-round draft picks in its history, including four under Tedford. In 2005, quarterback Aaron Rodgers was selected No. 24 overall by the Green Bay Packers, while in 2003 quarterback Kyle Boller went No. 19 to the Baltimore Ravens and Nnamdi Asomugha was picked at No. 31 by the Oakland Raiders. The Bears open the 2007 season on Sept. 1, hosting Tennessee in a rematch of last year's season-opener. Other games on the Cal home slate include USC, Arizona, Oregon State, Washington State and Louisiana Tech. For further information or to purchase season tickets, visit www.CalBears.com or call 1-800-GO-BEARS.
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