2023 NFL Draft: Pine Forest alum Devon Witherspoon selected in first round by Seattle Seahawks
For the third consecutive year, a premier college prospect from the Pensacola area has been drafted to the NFL.
Pine Forest's Devon Witherspoon didn't have to wait long on Thursday to hear his name called NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The former University of Illinois standout was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the fifth pick during the first round of the NFL Draft.
Alongside family and friends, he received the call while attending the Draft in Kansas City.
Witherspoon becomes the Pensacola area's highest draft pick since Escambia's Trent Richardson was taken third overall by Cleveland in 2012.
"It definitely feels worthwhile, but we still have a lot of work to do. Obviously, you have to prove yourself in this league," Witherspoon said during a press conference following the selection. "This league is the best of the best, so you have to go out there and compete everyday."
Listed at 5-foot-11, 181 pounds, the physical defensive back becomes the second Pensacola football player drafted in the first round in the last three years, joining Booker T. Washington High's Alex Leatherwood, who was taken with the 17th pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
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It is also the second year in a row a Pine Forest alum has been drafted. Former Eagle and Mississippi State great Martin Emerson Jr. was taken in the third round by the Cleveland Browns during last year's draft.
Witherspoon was projected to be taken anywhere between the sixth and 10th overall picks through various mock drafts from national publications. His stock skyrocketed following a stellar junior season with the Illini.
Ranked first among Power 5 cornerbacks with a 24.6 passer rating allowed, the lockdown prospect did not relinquish a touchdown in 2022 and finished the season with three interceptions, 17 passes defended and 41 total tackles.
The first-ever Illinois defensive back to be named a consensus All-American, Witherspoon was named the Big Ten's Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year and was a finalist for the Thorpe Award, awarded to the top defensive back in the country.
Witherspoon's ascension was swift considering that he didn't play football during his first two years of high school. Joining the Eagles on the gridiron as a junior, the defensive back made an immediate impact under head coach Jason McDonald, finishing with four interceptions, 65 total tackles and earning a spot on the PNJ All-Area Second Team.
He was even better as a senior, collecting seven interceptions and 74 total tackles en route to be named the 2018 PNJ's All-Area Defensive Player of the Year. A three-sport star at Pine Forest, Witherspoon was also named the PNJ's Male Athlete of the Year.
The cornerback originally intended on playing at Hutchinson Community College (Kan.) before receiving a late offer to play at Illinois. Now, he's bound for the Northwest.
"I'm excited to compete with everybody, but I get a chance to compete with D.K. Metcalf everyday in practice. It don't get no better than that," Witherspoon said. "He's such a big receiver and you get so much to learn from that."
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: NFL Draft: Pine Forest star Devon Witherspoon taken by Seattle No. 5
