Quantcast
skip navigation

Rosemount grad 'great fit' for Redskins

By BRIAN STENSAAS, Star Tribune, 05/01/12, 3:29PM CDT

Share

As the NFL draft coverage bled into Saturday, 2007 Rosemount High School graduate Tom Compton paid particular attention whenever Minnesota, Seattle or Tampa Bay popped up on the gray "Up Next" box.

"They just kept going by," he said of the teams that paid the most attention to him in the months leading up to the draft.

When a Virginia phone number appeared on his cell phone during the sixth round, Compton, at his parents' Rosemount home, was surprised but happily answered. On the other end, two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Shanahan delivered the news.

"He just said I would be a great fit," Compton said two days after Shanahan and the Washington Redskins selected the 6-5, 315-pound offensive lineman out of South Dakota with the 193rd overall pick. "That was pretty cool talking to him, and having him tell me they were excited to have me out there."

Compton, a four-year starter for the Coyotes, ran an impressive 5.11-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February, the fifth fastest among offensive linemen. He is scheduled to participate in the Redskins' rookie camp this weekend and later this month in team OTAs. Compton, one of three offensive linemen drafted by Washington, will likely compete for a roster spot at right tackle.

"Just to be able to have the opportunity to move on is a pretty good feeling," he said. "It was a pretty crazy weekend with about 100 people to talk to, but I'm ready to get on that plane and get to work."

Related Stories