This does not happen very often. The New England Patriots drafted Navy long snapper Joe Cardona in the fifth round of the NFL Draft in Chicago. Cardona is the first Navy football player to be selected in the NFL Draft since 1995.
Former Navy tight end Kevin Hickman was chosen in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Offensive guard Mike Wahle was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1998 supplemental draft. Players from the service academies being drafted is quite the rarity. The last player from Air Force to be drafted was defensive end Bryce Fisher in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. In 2008 Army saw defensive back Caleb Campbell go in the seventh round to the Lions. Campbell snapped a stretch that started in 1998 without an Army football player being selected in the NFL Draft.
It has been a big couple of weeks for Navy athletics. Just last week Navy lieutenant Mitch Harris made his major league debut as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals.
UPDATE (3:57 p.m.): Navy notes Cardona is the first Naval Academy graduate to be drafted since Bob Kuberski in 1993.. @joecardona93 is the first @NavalAcademy graduate (graduates in a couple of weeks) to be drafted since Bob Kuberski in 1993 #NavyFootball
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) May 2, 2015
