Two Wildcats picked in NFL Draft

Middleton was drafted Saturday as the third pick of the third round by Tampa Bay. Williams went yesterday in the seventh round to Houston.

"Frank worked very, very hard," Arizona head coach Dick Tomey said. "He'll do well in Tampa Bay."

Arizona tight end Mike Metzler, himself hoping for a free-agent contract, said being drafted is the ultimate reward for Middleton.

"He put in a lot of time," said Metzler of the weight program which allowed Middleton to slim down. "He worked hard and lost about sixty pounds."

Middleton's selection was the highest an Arizona player has been drafted since Chuck Levy was drafted in round two in 1994, and it may do a little to bring respect to Arizona's much-maligned offensive line.

"Well, its just easy to criticize an offensive line," Tomey said. "It's a very difficult position to play but it's very essential. You see somebody picking an offensive lineman first like St. Louis did (with Orlando Pace) and you realize how important it is."

Williams' talent as a special teams player is most likely what got him into the NFL. In fact, in 1996, the Pacific 10 Conference created a spot on its all-conference team specifically for Williams.

"It's really wonderful for him to get a chance," Tomey said. "This was the first year he devoted fully to football (Williams ran track at UA)."