UBC tackle, Penn State tight end, Illinois lineman among Canadians selected in NFL Draft

Giovanni Manu is the first ever University of British Columbia player to be taken in the NFL draft.

It didn’t happen when Canadian Theo Johnson thought it would, but he landed where he wanted to.

The New York Giants selected the Penn State tight end as the seventh pick of the fourth round, No. 107 overall, of the NFL draft on Saturday. Johnson had been projected as a possible second-day selection.

“(That) wasn’t in the cards for me but I think I got picked exactly when I was supposed to and exactly where I was supposed to,” Johnson told reporters in New York after his selection. “Since the beginning of this process, the Giants were very clear with their interest in me.

“Went to school and worked with Christian Daboll (Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s son) when he was at Penn State. So pretty early on, they showed a lot of interest and it was clear that this was definitely a potential landing spot for me.”

Johnson became the second Canadian off the board. Isaiah Adams of Ajax, Ont., an offensive lineman at Illinois University, was taken in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals on Friday

Nineteen selections later, the Detroit Lions took tackle Giovanni Manu of the University of British Columbia. Manu was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

The six-foot-six, 260-pound Johnson of Windsor, Ont., appeared in 45 games over four seasons at Penn State, recording 77 catches for 938 yards and 12 TDs. Last season, he registered career highs in receptions (34), yards (341) and touchdowns (seven — tied for team lead) and was an honourable mention All-Big Ten selection.