SEC number ONO again...with 16 Selections in NFL draft

Through the first three rounds of the NFL draft, 16 players from the SEC were taken, from Alabama running back Richardson (third overall to the Cleveland Browns) to Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette, who went 90th to New England. Richardson excelled at Alabama, where he won the Doak Walker award as the nation's top running back. Being the class of the best league in college football was a selling point.

"I saw him play running back in a physical style and in an outstanding conference, the SEC, and they won a lot of games. He helped that team win a national championship," Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. "In my mind, you saw what you needed to see to project the fact that he is going to be an outstanding player in this league."

Fans of the league's teams take pride in noting its accomplishments, among them winning the last six BCS titles. The BCS championship game was an all-SEC affair this year, and that game between Alabama and LSU alone sent nine players to the NFL - so far. There's four more rounds on Saturday. Seven of the 12 SEC teams had players chosen in the first three rounds. Auburn, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida did not.

Alabama had five players picked. It's no surprise, coming from a program with two national titles in the last three seasons, coached by Nick Saban, a former star assistant in the NFL before a stint in college and then a brief stay as head coach of the Miami Dolphins before coming to Alabama. In addition to Richardson, defensive backs Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick, and linebacker Dont'a Hightower went in the first round, and linebacker Courtney Upshaw followed quickly on Friday night.