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NEW YORK (AP) — The St. Louis Rams selected Utah State safety Maurice Alexander, who worked as a janitor cleaning up the college stadium on game days after getting kicked off the team for one season.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Alexander, from nearby Eureka, Missouri, was the Rams' fourth-round pick. The team brought him in for a workout a few weeks ago, which coach Jeff Fisher on Saturday called "outstanding."
Alexander was sentenced to a year in jail after punching a teammate, running back Joseph DeMartino, in the face after a party. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault resulting in body injury and all but 45 days of the sentence was suspended.
Alexander was reinstated by the school last year and started 13 games, finishing with 80 tackles, six pass breakups, an interception and 3 1-2 sacks.
Lions address secondary by taking Nevin Lawson
The Detroit Lions finally tried to help their secondary in the NFL draft, taking cornerback Nevin Lawson of Utah State in the fourth round Saturday.
Three picks later, Detroit added defensive end Larry Webster of Bloomsburg with another fourth-round pick.
Depth in the secondary is a concern for Detroit, especially given cornerback Chris Houston's injury problems. The Lions used two of their first three picks on offense, taking tight end Eric Ebron, linebacker Kyle Van Noy and center Travis Swanson on the draft's first two days.
Lawson was one of the top defensive players in the Mountain West Conference last year, and he was a regular starter during his last three seasons at Utah State.
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