Grading The Dallas Cowboys Safety, Matt Johnson

Undrafted 2010

Andrew Sendejo, S Rice/Sacramento Mtn Lions.

6-1  225  4.52  40  4.04   shuttle

Grade entering draft: 71.2

My Grade: Player potential/impact B Draft Value: A

2009 ALL-CONFERENCE USA HONORABLE MENTION (COACHES): DB- Andrew Sendejo, Sr., Rice, has been selected All-Conference USA Honorable Mention for the 2009 college football season as voted on by the Conference USA head coaches. Sendejo was the NCAA active career leader in unassisted tackles at the time his Rice career was cut short by an injury in the seventh game of the year at ECU. He closed out his career tied for second on the Owls’ career tackle list with 318. – Rice football

2008 Honorable mention All C-USA pick by the coaches, second team pick by the Houston Chronicle, while Phil Steele placed him on his first-team, all-conference unit … Led the Owls with 94 tackles despite missing nearly three full games with a high ankle sprain … Fifth in C-USA stats with 8.55 tackles per game (51st nationally) … . 22nd in NCAA stats with 5.4 solo tackles per game … Owls’ active leader in tackles with 254 and needs 24 to move into the Owls’ career top ten … Leads the team with eight career interceptions, all in his last 21 games, including two for scores … eight intercpeptions ranks him in a five-way tie for ninth on the Owls’ career list … Closed out the regular season by recording his fifth double-figure tackle game of the year with 13 vs. Houston … .it was his ninth career double-figure tackle game.

Opened the year by earning C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors for his game vs. SMU. Totaled 89 yards in returns, bringing back an interception 55 yards for a touchdown and returning a fumble 34 yards to set up a second score. Interception return was his second of his career for a score, with both coming against SMU. Had back-to-back 13 tackle efforts at Memphis and Vanderbilt, then was credited with a season-high 17 tackles at Texas, one shy of his career-high of 18 set last year at Marshall. Saw his streak of double-figure tackle games end at three when he was credited for three stops against North Texas. Set up the Owls seventh score of the first half when he recovered a muffed punt. Made his debut as the Owls’ punt returner against North Texas, fielded a pair for no gain, then returned his third for a gain of 21.

Injured early in the Tulsa game and did not record a tackle. Missed the Southern Miss game, breaking a streak of 24 consecutive games played (23 starts). Also missed the Tulane game. Returned to action against UTEP and led the Owls with eight tackles. Has been responsible for 17 of the Owls 58 turnovers since the start of 2007 (eight interceptions, four forced fumbles, four fumble recovery, one pass deflection that was intercepted). Leads active Rice defenders with 12 career points. Has 201 tackles over the last two years to lead the team. Two-time ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA District VI academic honoree with a 3.59 GPA in Sports Management.

In 2007 he led the team with 107 tackles and five interceptions. His five interceptions were the most by an Owl since Dan Dawson tied the school record with seven in 2000 and match the third-best total by an Owl in a season. He earned honorable mention all C-USA honors by the coaches. 2006: honorable mention freshman all-America recognition from The Sporting News and C-USA all-freshman honors from the media. Finished fifth on the team with 49 total tackles from the Spur position. Tied for fourth on the squad with seven tackles for loss. Second on the team by forcing three fumbles. Made 10 starts on the season and played in 11 games. NFL draft scout.

If it wasn’t for bad luck, Andrew wouldn’t have any at all. He finished his career at Rice as the second-leading tackler in school history. A grade-3 high ankle sprain suffered at East Carolina that required surgery, ended his senior season after seven games. He thought there might be a chance he’d get drafted in the late rounds of the NFL Draft in spite of his injury, but he came to the realization that he may go undrafted after his Pro Day beacuse teams were curious to see if he had sufficiently healed. He hadn’t yet. His 40 time was 4.52, and considering he didn’t start jogging until Jan 16th and wasn’t fully cleared to do everything else until Feb. 22, he was satisfied.He understood that he is not a Polamalu, Thomas or Berry with all of that natural talent and or exposure. He needed to be the best he could be on his Pro Day. Unfortunately, bad luck once again prevailed, he wasn’t 100% yet.

"“I have to do the normal things I did in the first place, the things I did in high school and at Rice, I have to do the same things I’ve always done to stand out. I have to be in the right place, bust my tail and fly around. Those are the fastest ways to get noticed – to be coachable and to do your job.” “It helps you raise your level of game and it can also make you look better when you’re playing on a team full of guys who are going to get drafted,” Sendejo said. “If you look at teams that have really good defenses in college football, their safeties are making 60 tackles. The ball doesn’t make it to the secondary. But even if I’m surrounded by really talented guys, you have to have to do the other things. I might not be as talented as a first- or second-round safety, but I can guarantee you I’ll be able to go all day, find a way to shine, and compete for his spot.”"

Sendejo was quoted as saying:

"“When you think about safety, you think about a guy who comes downhill and hits you in the mouth,” “I like to hit, fly around and have fun. Anytime I get a chance, I’m going to try to tee off on somebody.”"

My story is continued on the next page…..