Friday Night Lights

Tony Bergstrom was the final pick on Friday night, the second day of the NFL Draft. He was also the first pick of the Oakland Raiders, as they traded away their first three picks in 2012. They received a compensatory pick at #95, which they used to draft the tackle out of Utah. Bergstrom will attempt to become the next Barry Sims, a ProUte who played nine seasons in Oakland.

Also joining Bergstrom in Oakland will be Conroy Black, who will try to don the silver and black as an undrafted free agent. Other ProUtes going the undrafted route are John Cullen with the Jets, Derrick Shelby and Shawn Asiata with the Dolphins, and Tevita Finau with the Cardinals.

Leading the Way

Eric Weddle is leading by example in the university's fund-raising efforts: the honorary co-chair has pledged $250,000 to the Invest in Excellence campaign. Weddle made the announcement while visiting Salt Lake for the annual Red-White game over the weekend. Read Dirk Facer's column in the Deseret News for more details.

Another great former Ute is back in Utah today: Keith Van Horn will be inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame. Van Horn didn't meet with the same success in the NBA as his college running mate Andre Miller, but he was a phenomenal player in college. According to Kurt Kragthorpe's article in the Salt Lake Tribune, Van Horn has his priorities straight.

Steve Smith's Extension

Steve Smith has signed a three-year extension with the Carolina Panthers, pledging to finish where he started. It's a reversal from last off-season, when Smith's home was up for sale and a trade was possible. The difference a year can make, particularly with a new coach and a rookie phenom playing quarterback! Smith will be 33 when the season starts, but the indomitable wide out will finish his career on his own terms.

All-Time Andre

Chalk up another 12 assists for Andre Miller, who cracked the Top Ten All-Time! Miller now has 7,398 assists in his career, passing Maurice Cheeks (in 66 fewer games played) for tenth. He's got another 589 assists to catch up to Rod Strickland at ninth; at his current average of 6.4 apg that will take another full-length season plus. Two other active players are in the top ten: Jason Kidd at #2 and Steve Nash at #6. The closest active player behind Miller is Baron Davis at #29. View the full ranking at NBA.com.