April 28, 2012
Arizona receiver Juron Criner and cornerback Trevin Wade were selected on the final day of the NFL Draft in New York City on Saturday, joining QB Nick Foles, a third-round pick on Friday.
Also, at least Wildcats were reported to have hooked some free agent deals Saturday after the draft -- receiver David Douglas (New York Giants), linebacker Paul Vassallo (Arizona Cardinals) and corner-safety Robert Golden (Pittsburgh Steelers). Others could soon follow.
Criner was the 33rd selection in the fifth round (No. 168 overall) by the Oakland Raiders and two rounds later Wade came as the 38th pick by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round, the 245th player selected.
Foles was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 25th pick in Round 3, the 88th overall player selected. It was the second consecutive year three Wildcats were picked, after defensive ends Brooks Reed, Ricky Elmore and D'Aundre Reed got the nod in the 2011 Draft.
Criner has been UA's top outside threat for the past three seasons and the Cats' career leader with 32 touchdown receptions while Wade's been a 31-game starter and 50-game regular as a cover man for the Cats. Both participated in the NFL Combine along with Foles.
Criner is the most recent UA receiver drafted since Syndric Steptoe was a seventh-round pick in 2007 while Wade follows Jim Thorpe Award winner Antoine Cason as a Cats corner in the draft. Cason was UA's last first-round selection, in 2008.
Juron Criner, Wide Receiver - Senior, 6-4, 220 - Las Vegas, Nev.
Arizona’s career record holder with 32 receiving touchdowns… Receptions in his final 28 games as a Wildcat… No. 4 all-time at Arizona with 209 catches and No. 4 with 2,859 receiving yards, behind three NFL Cats in each category – Mike Thomas, Bobby Wade and Dennis Northcutt… Honorable mention All-Pac-12 2011… Missed two games to start year after an appendectomy…Had 12 receptions in two games (Stanford 2009, Oregon State (2010), tied for the No. 2 single-game total in Arizona annals… Had 11 career 100-yard games and five 10+ reception contests… 82 catches in 2010 were No. 4 on UA single-season chart… First-team All-Pac-10 and second-team SI.com/cbssports.com All-America honors in 2010… 82 catches for 1,233 yards and 11 scores, one of best seasons in UA history… Five 100-yard game and three others at 95-plus… Tied school record (Mike Thomas 83-1088) with 11 TD grabs in both ’11 and ’10…Top 10 all-time on UA career receptions, yards and TDs, plus single-season in those categories… Scored in nine games in 2010… 85-yard TD catch at Eugene seventh-longest pass play in UA history… In 2008 he started the first two games of the year and the California game... Played in all 13 games… Season Highs: 4-45 receiving against Toledo… 1 touchdown catch at New Mexico in fourth quarter. Career highs: 12-179 vs. OSU ‘10, 12-152 against Stanford ‘09, 3 TD against Oregon ’09 and Stanford ‘11, 3-50 rushing against Stanford ’10, 85-yard TD catch at Oregon ‘10… As sophomore he was second on club with 45 receptions for 582 yards and team-high nine scores in 2009… The touchdowns tied for No. 5 on UA single-season receiving TD chart… Prepped at Canyon Springs High School, Las Vegas, Nev., 2008… Voted to the Las Vegas Sun All-Decade Team in early January 2010 for his prep accomplishments… Class 4A All-Sunrise Region first-team offense… Two-time all-state… PrepStar All-West… Big receiver with decent speed, Criner caught 58 passes for 1,631 yards and 25 touchdowns his senior year for coach Matt Jenkins… Catches and yardage was top in state… Team scoring leader with 172 points including 10 PATs… Had 36 catches for 788 yards his junior year on an 8-4 squad… Noted basketball player… Academic major was family studies and human development… Born in December 1989…
Criner’s Career at Arizona:
|
Year
|
G-GS
|
Rec.
|
Yards
|
Avg.
|
TD
|
Long
|
|
2008
|
13-3
|
7
|
88
|
12.6
|
1
|
28
|
|
2009
|
13-5
|
45
|
582
|
12.9
|
9
|
71
|
|
2010
|
13-12
|
82
|
1233
|
15.0
|
11
|
85
|
|
2011
|
11-11
|
75
|
956
|
12.7
|
11
|
48
|
|
Total
|
50-31
|
209
|
2859
|
13.7
|
32
|
85
|
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Trevin Wade, Cornerback - 5-11, 192, Round Rock, Texas
Ranks eighth (tied) in Arizona career history with 28 passes defended, and tied for 10th with 12 career interceptions… 35-game starter for the Wildcats among 50 games played… Second-team All-Pac-12 in 2011, second-team in 2009 in a breakout year as a sophomore… Returned a pick 85 yards for a score against Iowa in 2010, sixth-longest in Wildcat history… Two interceptions in 2009 season opener against Northern Arizona… Career-high 11 tackles against Stanford as sophomore… Prepped at Stony Point High School, Round Rock, Texas, 2007… All-District 14-5A as a defensive back and also as all-purpose player senior year in 2006… First-team all-district defender in 2005… All-district point guard… Played in both football and basketball all-star games his senior year… Academic major was economics… Born, in Austin, Texas… Son of Charles and LaVera Wade… Related to former MBL baseball’s Hubie Brooks…
Wade’s Career at Arizona:
|
Year
|
G-GS
|
UT
|
AT
|
TT
|
Other
|
|
2008
|
13-0
|
4
|
8
|
12
|
4-78 INT, 3 PD
|
|
2009
|
13-13
|
53
|
18
|
71
|
5-40 INT (TD 38), 1.5 TFL, 9 PD, FF
|
|
2010
|
12-11
|
39
|
8
|
47
|
1-85 INT (TD), 1.5 TFL, 3 PD
|
|
2011
|
12-11
|
42
|
10
|
52
|
2-0 INT, 1.0 TFL, 13 PD, FF
|
|
Total
|
50-35
|
138
|
44
|
182
|
12-203 INT (2 TD), 28 PD, 2 FF, 4 TFL
|
