Former Ute Matt Gay Drafted By Tampa Bay In 5th Round
Apr 27, 2019, 12:20 PM
Kicker Matt Gay #97 of the Utah Utes kicks a point after touchdown against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on November 18, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The second specialist is off the board in the NFL Draft, the latest is Utah kicker Matt Gay heading to Tampa Bay after being selected in the 5th round, 145th overall.
He is the second Ute to be drafted on the third day after punter Mitch Wishnowksy was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the 4th round.
The duo is the first two specialists that were drafted in 2019.
Gay won the Lou Groza award in 2017, which honors the best kicker in college football. He was a semifinalist for the award in 2018. Gay is a two-time All-American and two-time first team All-Pac-12. He set a school record for most 50-yard field goals made with 8, he is second all-time in school history with an 86.15 career field goal percentage.
Gay becomes the fourth Ute taken in the draft this year and the fifth local selected. On the second day of the draft, Ute safety Marquise Blair was selected 47th overall in the second round going to the Seattle Seahawks. Utah linebacker Cody Barton joined Blair in Seattle in the third round as the 88th overall selection. Former BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki is heading to Cleveland after being picked in the third round, 80th overall.
Round 5, No. 145 overall: #Bucs select @Utah_Football's Matt Gay #NFLDrafthttps://t.co/ReoaM7hq6a
— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) April 27, 2019
