Heisman translates into 174th pick for Troy Smith

NEW YORK — Troy Smith is taking his Heisman Trophy to Baltimore.

No, Sunday couldn't match Saturday's slide of Brady Quinn and the dealing of three 2008 first-round picks. But the second day of the NFL draft had some juicy angles, including Smith, the Ohio State quarterback, going to the Ravens on the final pick of the fifth round. That's 174 picks overall, the ninth quarterback and seventh Buckeye chosen.

"The wait, that's not a concern for me," Smith said. "The concern was the chance to be a part of an organization which is the ideal fit, playing for a winning team and a winning organization and getting a chance to learn from guys like Steve McNair, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, coach [Brian] Billick and Ozzie Newsome."

Baltimore's seasoned roster of winners is a major reason Newsome grabbed Smith.

"I said, 'Here you are, coming off a big-time career at Ohio State, playing in the national-championship game, the Heisman Trophy winner, and you're probably going to be a nobody because we've got some Hall of Famers that are in that locker room.' And you know what? He really relished that opportunity."

NFL calendar


May 22-23: Spring meeting, Nashville.

Aug. 4: Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions, Canton, Ohio.

Aug. 5: Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio (New Orleans vs. Pittsburgh).

Aug. 28: Roster cutdown to 75 players.

Sept. 1: Roster cutdown to 53 players.

Sept. 6: Regular-season opener.

Then there was Michael Bush, a likely first-rounder before breaking his leg in Louisville's opener last season. The big, fast running back was the opening pick of the second day after the Oakland Raiders had nearly 12 hours to contemplate the selection.

"I was just stunned," Bush said of not going in the first three rounds, probably because he needed a second surgery in March, when a new rod was inserted after the leg bone didn't heal quickly enough. "I didn't know what to expect, what to think. My agent and I didn't have anything to go by."

Notes

• Other notable selections Sunday were Ohio State RB Antonio Pittman, fourth round to New Orleans; Michigan WR Steve Breaston, fifth round to Arizona; Pittsburgh linebacker H.B. Blades, sixth round to Washington; and UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer, the brother of the Bengals' Carson Palmer, sixth round to Washington.

• Miami Dolphins coach Cam Cameron might want to brace for another round of boos: Top pick Ted Ginn Jr. says he's unsure whether his sprained left foot will be healthy for the start of training camp in three months.

• Florida beat Ohio State — again. Six Gators were taken on the second day of the NFL draft, giving the national champions nine players selected in the seven rounds, the most of any school. The runner-up with eight picks was Ohio State, which lost to the Gators in the BCS title game in January.

• The final pick of the longest draft ever — 18 hours, 5 minutes — was Alabama defensive back Ramzee Robinson, by Detroit.