By John D'Onofrio
Niagara Gazette
April 30, 2007 10:14 pm
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One of the only people who isn’t surprised safety Daren Stone was picked in Sunday’s NFL Draft is his former head football coach at Lockport High School, Mike Finn.
Finn, who retired last year after three decades coaching at LHS, said Stone’s size (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and aggressiveness on the field, coupled with a quiet, unassuming demeanor off it, would appeal to any NFL team.
Stone, 21, a 2003 LHS graduate, was drafted in the sixth round Sunday, going to the Atlanta Falcons as the 203rd overall selection.
“I think Daren is going to surprise a lot of people in the NFL — just like he did in the college ranks,” said Finn, who helped develop the once inexperienced Stone into a Western New York all-star.
“Daren played almost exclusively on offense as a sophomore. He was very inexperienced because he did not play on our junior varsity team as a freshman because of an injury he suffered over the summer. He was a slender kid who was very athletic. Daren was not overly aggressive as a 10th grader, so we used him primarily as a wide receiver,” Finn said.
At the University of Maine, Stone was named to the 2006 All-Atlantic 10 second team and earned invitations to play in the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine college football all-star games.
Stone said Monday he watched the NFL Draft on ESPN with his agent in Brooklyn, saying he trained for the 2007 NFL Combine in Atlanta.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity and I look forward to getting to work in Atlanta. It’s a very nice place,” Stone said, adding that he planned to fly down to Atlanta in about 10 days to begin preparations for Falcons minicamp, which will begin in two weeks.
Contract negotiations are under way, Stone said, adding that he hoped to sign a contract shortly.
Stone, the son of Eric Stone and Lurline Lumley, said he didn’t expect to start for the Falcons this year, but said with the aging Lawyer Milloy at safety, he might get a starting opportunity within the next two or three years, if not sooner.
“I just want to say to everyone from Lockport — coach Finn, my teachers — that I’ll always appreciate everything you’ve all done for me,” Stone said. “People have been behind me all through high school and college and they’ve helped to give me this great opportunity.”
Finn said while Stone started slow, things changed dramatically when he entered his junior year in high school.
“That year he was a different player. He was much more aggressive,” Finn said. “He played both safety and corner on defense and continued to start on offense. By the time he was a senior, Daren was a dominant player on defense. All of our opponents had to account for him on every play. His speed, size and recognition of plays were an exceptional combination on the high school level.”
Stone recorded the longest broad jump and fifth-fastest 60-yard shuttle run among all defensive backs in March at the annual NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
He ranked 97th nationally in sacks per game (.40) as a safety. He recorded 50 tackles and 4.0 sacks last year with the University of Maine. His 50 tackles ranked fifth on a Maine defense which finished the 2006 season ranked second in total defense and first in rush defense. He also scored two touchdowns.
“I’m incredibly excited for Daren, his family and the entire Maine football program,” said Main coach Jack Cosgrove. “This is an exciting time for the young man who is very deserving of this opportunity. The Falcons got a player whose best football days are ahead of him.”
Finn predicted last week that Stone would get drafted by a pro team on Sunday, stating, “He’s definitely flying under the radar going into the draft and that’s exactly what happened to him in high school.
“Daren only made second-team All-Western New York and he only received one scholarship offer (Maine) and that was a last-minute deal,” Finn said.
“Most people, including Daren himself, thought that his future was as a basketball player. Our team during his senior year only went 3-5. We lost several close games, including a last-minute heartbreaker to sectional champ North Tonawanda.”
Besides football, Stone excelled in track and basketball at LHS.
On the track oval, he won the Section VI high jump title in 2003 with a leap of 6 feet, 1 inch under former head coach Dan Langendorfer. His top leap that year was a mammoth 6-6. Beside the high jump, Stone also competed in state finals of the 400 relay, along with Lions teammates Jhamal Fluellen, Davie Cooney and Jeremiah Richardson.
On the court, Stone earned first-team all-league status in 2002-03 in Niagara Frontier League basketball, averaging 12.5 points and two assists per game for retired head coach Roy Macaluso’s 17-5 Lions. Stone was also a solid defensive force for the Lions, averaging 1.5 blocks, three steals and nine rebounds per contest.
Despite his overwhelming athletic skills, Finn says one of Stone’s most appealing traits remains his personality.
“To this day, Daren remains very humble. He’s a quiet young man and does not draw attention to himself on the field with self-centered actions,” Finn said. “He still comes into our weight room at LHS and goes about his work very quietly. He’s always willing to share his knowledge about weightlifting without being asked. He goes out of his way to help all kids — those with ability and those who are just getting started.”
Contact editor John D’Onofrio at 439-9222, ext. 6247.
• Did you know?
Daren Stone’s selection by the Atlanta Falcons at Sunday’s NFL Draft marks the second-straight season a University of Maine Black Bear was selected in the NFL Draft. Wide receiver Kevin McMahan was taken by the Oakland Raiders in the seventh round (No. 255) of the 2006 draft. It’s the first time in program history that Maine has had a draft pick in back-to-back years.
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