AUBURN, Ala. – Jamel Dean's NFL journey began Friday when the Tampa Bay Bucs picked the former Auburn defensive back in the third round of the NFL draft, the No. 94 selection overall.
A two-year starter in Auburn's secondary, Dean intercepted passes last season against Washington and Georgia. For his career, he made 73 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, including a sack. He recovered a fumble last season against Texas A&M.
Dean, who overcame three knee surgeries, wowed scouts and general managers at the NFL Combine, running a 4.3 40-yard dash.
"I knew I had it in me," said Dean at Auburn's Pro Day on March 8. "I was just upset that I didn't go 4.2. At one point, I thought I was never going to play football again. Now I'm out there living my dreams, and I'm getting closer to the NFL. I feel like everything is falling in place now."
Dean's pro football career will start in his home state of Florida, two hours west of his hometown, Cocoa.
"It was like one of the greatest feelings ever," Dean said on Pro Day. "A lot of people said I made a lot of money after running that 40, and just my performance at the Combine in general.
"After each injury, I knew I had to work harder than normal just to bounce back. Some teams were surprised. Some teams said they knew I was fast, but they didn't know I was that fast.
"It's a great feeling, but I've got to stay humble, make sure I stay prayed up."
War Eagle‼️@jmd0074 ✖️ @Buccaneers#WarEagle #AUNextLevel #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/AfnkNXMCcz
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) April 27, 2019
Fire the Cannons @Buccaneers, @jmd0074 can fly💨💨💨#WarEagle #AUNextLevel #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/37Sb4BW9q1
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) April 27, 2019
Welcome to the Krewe, @jmd0074! pic.twitter.com/nJYFkszCyY
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 27, 2019
Tampa Bay just got a very good football player with real speed!
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) April 27, 2019
Congrats @jmd0074!!#WarEagle #AUNextLevel #NFLDraft https://t.co/I3Hr3YaCCA
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer