April 28, 2012
Fugger Highlights | 
Career Achievements | 
Fugger Through the Years
Defensive end Tim Fugger became the second Vanderbilt defensive player taken in the NFL Draft when he was selected in the seventh round by Indianapolis on Saturday.
Fugger, a product of Oak Brook, Illinois near Chicago, put together his best season as a senior, setting numerous single-season highs to spark the Commodores to a postseason appearance in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
As a senior, Fugger posted eight quarterback sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss among 33 total tackles. Fugger also forced three fumbles, pushing his career total to eight forced fumbles.
Fugger becomes the second Commodore selected in the 2012 NFL Draft. Defensive teammate cornerback Casey Hayward was taken by Green Bay (2nd round).
This marks the first time in two years that multiple Commodores heard their name called in the player draft. In 2010, defensive back Myron Lewis and offensive lineman Thomas Welch were selected. The most Vanderbilt prospects selected since the NFL Draft was shortened to seven rounds came in 2001 when linebackers Jamie Winborn and Matt Stewart, placekicker John Markham and defensive back Jimmy Williams were taken.
Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin praised Fugger’s combination of athleticism and intensity.
“Tim Fugger is going to give a coaching staff everything he has,” Franklin said. “Coaches love players like Tim Fugger, guys that just go extremely hard every play. Tim is extremely athletic and possesses a great combination of speed, quickness and strength.”
Fugger’s athleticism on display at Vanderbilt’s Pro Day in early April impressed many scouts. Several NFL evaluators thought enough of his versatility to ponder Fugger as a linebacker in 3-4 schemes.
Southeastern Conference coaches also were impressed by Fugger’s performance as a senior, naming him as a Coaches’ second team All-SEC defensive lineman.
Fugger started 31 games at defensive end for the Commodores, including the last 16 games of his career. In addition to forcing eight turnovers, Fugger concluded his Vanderbilt career with 12 quarterback sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
Here’s a list of Vanderbilt players selected in NFL Draft since 2000:
| Vanderbilt Draft Picks Since 2000 | ||||||||
| Year | ||||||||
PlayerNFL TeamDraft Selection2012 Casey Hayward, DB Green Bay 30th pick, 2nd Round Tim Fugger, DE Indianapolis 7th pick, 7th Round2010 Myron Lewis, DB Tampa Bay 3rd pick, 3rd Round Thomas Welch, OL New England 1st pick, 7th Round2009 D.J. Moore, DB Chicago 19th pick, 4th Round2008 Chris Williams, OL Chicago 14th pick, 1st Round Earl Bennett, WR Chicago 7th pick, 3rd Round Jonathan Goff, LB N.Y. Giants 30th pick, 5th Round2006 Jay Cutler, QB Denver 11th pick, 1st Round2005 Jovan Haye, DL Carolina 15th pick, 6th Round Justin Geisinger, OL Buffalo 23rd pick, 6th Round2003 Hunter Hillenmeyer, LB Green Bay 31st pick, 5th Round2001 Jamie Winborn, LB San Francisco 16th pick, 2nd Round Matt Stewart, LB Atlanta 7th pick, 4th Round John Markham, PK N.Y. Giants 29th pick, 5th Round Jimmy Williams, DB Buffalo 33rd pick, 6th Round
