Celina Baguiao - COC

Former College of the Canyons football players –cornerback Justin Tryon and linebacker Joey LaRocque – were selected in the in the fourth and seventh rounds by the Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears, respectively of the 2008 NFL Draft this past weekend. They become the fifth and sixth Cougars to be drafted by an NFL team since the program was reinstated at COC in 1998.

Tryon, a Taft High School graduate, played for COC in 2004 and 2005 and accumulated 58 tackles, 53 unassisted, 7 interceptions and 6 pass break-ups in two years of play, while garnering a first-team All-Western State Conference honors in 2005 and second-team honors in 2004. After two years with the Cougars he transferred to Arizona State where he was named honorable mention All-Pac-10 his junior year and second-team All-Pac-10 his final season with the Sun Devils. For ASU he started all 26 games for the team during his two-year span with the team and collected 108 tackles, 80 solo.

Agoura Hills alum LaRocque joins the NFL after two years with Oregon State. LaRocque, who was also on the 2004 and 2005 Cougar squads, led the team in 2005 with 103 tackles, 68 unassisted, 2 fumble recoveries, and 11.5 sacks for a loss of 87 yards, in one of the most dominate seasons at the linebacker position. He was named second-team All-WSC honors as a freshman, first-team all-WSC, first-team All-State and a JC All-American his sophomore year. As a Beaver, he tallied 184 tackles and was a second-team All-Pac-10 selection after his senior year.

College of the Canyons currently has four former players that are on active rosters in the NFL – Domata Peko (Cincinnati Bengals, COC 2002-2003), JJ Arrington (Arizona Cardinals, COC 2001-2002), Jonathan Fanene (Cincinnati Bengals, COC 2000-2001), and Isaac Sopoaga (San Francisco 49ers, COC 2000-2001).