Vikings select ex-Bull Raymond

Posted Apr 30, 2011 by Adam Adkins

Updated Apr 30, 2011 at 07:29 PM

Former University of South Florida defensive back Mistral Raymond became the second Bulls player selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, going to the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round with the 170th overall pick Saturday afternoon.

Raymond was a former walk-on who worked his way into a starting role and team captain with the Bulls. As a senior, Raymond had 56 tackles and one interception and was a second team All-Big East Conference selection. Raymond showed his versatility with the Bulls, playing both safety and cornerback in his collegiate career.

“It has been a long journey and I’m so grateful to everyone that has helped me along the way,” Raymond said in a USF press release. “I’ve worked extremely hard with this goal in mind, and now that it is real, I’m just excited to represent my family and USF as I move on to the NFL. I had great visits with the Vikings and I knew there was a chance they’d take me. I’m glad they did and I’m going to work as hard as I can to help them win games in the future.”

Raymond’s selection gives USF multiple NFL draft picks for a second consecutive year and for the fourth time in program history.