Where are they now?

As the 2008 Mountaineers take the field next week there is a ton of talent that will be wearing the old gold and blue, like Pat White, Reed Williams, and Noel Devine. On the other hand, there will be some household names that will not be seen in the huddle, like Owen Schmitt, Steve Slaton, and Darius Reynaud. All will be missed this season, especially the last two considering they were both eligible for one more year, but the good news is that if any of them was your favorite player to watch, you can still see them in action this season in the NFL.

Darius Reynaud was an integral part of the West Virginia offense last year. His athletic abilities were obvious and both Steve Slaton and Pat White claimed that he was the best athlete on the team. He opted to enter the NFL draft but was undrafted, then eventually signed with the Minnesota Vikings. In his first preseason game against the Seahawks he returned 3 kickoffs for 109 yards and caught a 13 yard pass, a promising showing for any rookie. He is listed as a wide receiver on the Vikings roster wearing #82, and may be seen in action this Thursday against the Cowboys at 8PM ET.

Another major contributor to the West Virginia offense was Steve Slaton. He was discovered in the multi-overtime bout with Louisville, and was named the starting tailback from that game forward. His power and agility allowed him to rack up a number of records at West Virginia University; such as: most touchdowns in a game (6), most rushing yards in a season (1744), most TDs by any player at WVU (53), and third all-time rushing yards at WVU (3,923). Had he stayed, he surely would have blown a number of other records out of the water, but he opted to enter the NFL draft and was signed in the third round (89^th overall) by the Houston Texans. He has racked up over 150 yards on both kick returns and rushing in preseason games, and scored the game winning touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. He is listed as a running back wearing #20 on the Texans roster, and his next game is this Thursday against the Buccaneers at 8PM ET.

Owen Schmitt may be the player that is missed most this year on the Mountaineer roster. He was given an opportunity to prove himself to Rich Rodriguez after a solid year at Division-III Wisconsin-River Falls. His gritty style of play and unwavering effort were hallmarks of not only the 2007 season, but his entire career. No mountaineer fan will ever forget the sight of him banging his helmet against his forehead after botching a punt attempt, or his 60+ yard run down the sideline for a touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners. He personified everything that it means to be a mountaineer. He was drafted in the 5^th round by the Seattle Seahawks and awarded a 4-year contract and $158,000 signing bonus. So far he has 3 catches for over 50 yards and two tackles on special teams. He is listed on the Seahawks roster as a fullback wearing #35, and can be seen tonight playing the Chargers at 8:00PM ET.