Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMUs Deslauriers and Wellock Sign NFL Free-Agent Contracts
5/1/2007 4:24:31 PM | Football
Deslauriers to join Pittsburgh Steelers and Wellock the Carolina Panthers
YPSILANTI, Mich.— Eastern Michigan University football players Eric Deslauriers (Gatineau, Quebec-Lennoxville College Prep) and Andrew Wellock (North Canton, Ohio-Green) have signed free agent contracts with National Football League (NFL) teams.
Deslauriers, a 6-foot-4 1/2, 205-pound senior wide receiver, has inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Wellock, a 5-foot-11, 182-pound senior place-kicker, has signed to join the Carolina Panthers squad. After his junior season, Deslauriers was a first-round draft choice of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) but did not sign to finish his college career in 2006. Both players were outstanding contributors to the EMU football program for four years.
Originally recruited as a quarterback, Deslauriers was switched to wide receiver after his freshman year and became one of the top pass catchers in EMU history and one of the top receivers in the NCAA Division I ranks his final three years. He completed his EMU career with school records for touchdown receptions (27), receptions (248) and receiving yards (3,250). Deslauriers finished his career ranked in eight Mid-American Conference receiving categories, including being ranked fifth in career pass receptions (248), and tied for second in single-game touchdown receptions (4 vs. Central Michigan, 11-6-2004 at Ford Field in Detroit). He was named first-team All-Mid-American Conference in 2006. In addition, he was named to the Fred Biletnikoff Award Watch list, which goes to the top receiver in the NCAA Division 1 ranks, in both 2005 and 2006. Deslauriers was the No. 7 pick in the first round of the 2006 Canadian Football League Draft by the Alouettes.
In his four seasons on the EMU football squad, Wellock was one of the top place-kickers in the NCAA-1A ranks. He was selected as an Associated Press third-team All-American after an outstanding 2004 season that saw him finish runner-up for the 2004 Lou Groza Award as the top place-kicker in the nation. He also made the Lou Groza Watch list in his other three seasons, chosen as a semifinalist in 2003, 2005 and 2006.
Wellock was EMU’s starting place-kicker in all 46 games during his four-year career and was the starting punter in the 2003 and 2004 seasons and set the EMU career field-goal record during the 2005 season and completed his career with a school record 69 three pointers. In addition he also became EMU’s career scoring leader with 299 points in his 46 games played. He was a first-team All-MAC place-kicker three times and was a two-time Academic All-MAC pick. He made 69-of-87 field goals in his career and finished with 299 career points. His 69 field goals ranks second in MAC history behind Northern Illinois’ Steve Azar (2000-03) who had 73 and finished his career ranked in several other MAC career categories, including: fourth in best field goal percentage (.793), ninth in most points scored (299), seventh in most points scored by kicking (299), and tied for sixth in most field goals attempted (87).
After completing his eligibility in 2006, Wellock was one of four place-kickers selected to compete in the State Farm College Football All-Star Challenge, held Jan. 30, 2007 at the Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami, Fla. where he won the long-kick championship.
