NFL Draft: Fleener picked in Round 2 by Colts
By Steve Millar For Sun-Times Media April 28, 2012 12:28AM
After being taken in the second round of the NFL draft by Indianapolis, Stanford tight end Coby Fleener is greeted by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. | AP photo
Updated: April 28, 2012 8:40PM
Coby Fleener had to wait a day longer than many expected to have his NFL dreams realized.
Considering the destination, though, the wait was worth it.
The Lemont native and Joliet Catholic alum was selected Friday night by the Indianapolis Colts with the second pick (No. 34 overall) of the second round of the NFL draft.
That means the tight end will be reunited with his quarterback at Stanford, Andrew Luck, who was taken by the Colts with the first overall pick Thursday.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am and what it means to have him at quarterback,” Fleener said in a conference call with reporters. “We’re very good friends. I can’t even describe how excited I am right now.”
Many analysts expected Fleener to be a late first-round pick, but he didn’t have to wait long once the second round began.
He was the first tight end taken in this year’s draft.
“I sat there (Thursday) thinking there were some teams that could have picked me and I wasn’t sure,” he said. “(Friday), when the Colts came up, I still wasn’t sure until I got the call on my phone that had an Indiana area code. I had a big smile on my face at that point.”
The 6-foot-6, 247-pound Fleener fills a need for Indianapolis, which last month released veteran tight end Dallas Clark.
The Colts drafted another tight end, Clemson product Dwayne Allen, in the third round.
Fleener was Luck’s go-to target with the Cardinal last season, catching 32 passes for 648 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News. Fleener finished his college career with 94 catches for 1,524 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The 2007 graduate of Joliet Catholic caught 34 passes for 706 yards and eight touchdowns during his senior season with the Hilltoppers.
Fleener plans to remain at Stanford until June to finish a master’s degree in communication before reporting to the Colts.
