Former Florida safety Ahmad Black (Lakeland, Fla.) has been selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 20th pick of the fifth round (151st overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft. Black is the third Gator selected in this year’s draft.
Black becomes the third player from the Gators’ secondary drafted in the past two years. In the 2010 draft, cornerback Joe Haden was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round and safety Major Wright was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round.
It is the first time a Gator has been selected by the Buccaneers since offensive tackle Kenyatta Walker was drafted in the first round in 2001. Black is the first Gator defensive back ever selected by Tampa Bay and only the second defensive player ever taken by the Bucs. Linebacker Scot Brantley was drafted by the Buccaneers in 1980.
Black came to Florida out of Lakeland High School as a cornerback in 2007 and played in seven games as a true freshman. He made the switch to safety prior to the 2008 season and started all 14 games at strong safety for the Gators during their run to the 2008 BCS National Championship. Black had seven interceptions during the 2008 season, tied for the most in the nation, including a pick of Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford in the national title game to seal the victory for Florida.
Black developed into a leader for the Gators’ defense over the past four seasons and started 39 times in 48 appearances for the Orange and Blue. He was named an All-American in 2010 by Rivals.com (1st Team), the Associated Press (2nd Team) and Sports Illustrated (Honorable Mention) as well as being a consensus First-Team All-SEC selection. He finished his career ranked first in the SEC and tied for sixth nationally among active players with 13 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns.
