Lineman with local ties selected in NFL draft

Northwestern University defensive lineman Barry Cofield was recently selected in the 2006 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

Cofield is the grandson of Joe Cofield, who currently resides in Solon, Ohio – a suburb of Cleveland.

Joe Cofield is an alumnus of Randolph County Training School.

Barry Cofield was chosen by the Giants on the second day of last month’s draft with the 124th overall pick in the fourth round.

Despite his late selection Cofield is predicted to compete for the starting nose tackle job for the Giants’ 3-4 defense.

Over his four years at Northwestern Cofield accumulated 197 tackles, 6.5 quarterback sacks and one interception.

Scouting reports say that the 6-4, 305-lb. lineman has quick feet and good strength to be a solid player in the NFL.

&#8220Cofield is a tough player to get a good feel for, because he is not a productive defensive tackle in the true sense of making plays, but the more you watch him, the more he shows his athleticism,” according to his personal bio on giants.com.

Should Cofield earn the starting job he would be a member of a defense that features NFL stars Michael Strahan and LaVar Arrington.

The Giants won the NFC East last season with a record of 11-5. But they were eliminated in the first round by the Carolina Panthers by a score of 23-0.