Former BYU football defensive lineman Bronson Kaufusi was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the NFL Draft.
The Ravens selected him with the No. 70 overall pick.
Kaufusi joins former Cougars Dennis Pitta and De’Ondre Wesley in Baltimore.
“I’m really happy for Bronson,” said BYU head coach Kalani Sitake. “I’ve known Bronson since he was a child and he’s an incredible person from a great family. I didn’t have the chance to coach him here at BYU, but I did coach against him and know how good of a player he is and how hard he’s worked. He will represent BYU well in the NFL.”
CONGRATS to Bronson Kaufusi on getting drafted by the @Ravens!!#BYUFOOTBALL #GoCougs #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/CNj0qd5aVV
— BYU Football (@BYUfootball) April 30, 2016
With his selection, Kaufusi becomes the tenth Cougar defensive lineman and just the fifteenth BYU defender to be selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. The last Cougar to be drafted was linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who was selected with the No. 40 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in 2014.
Kaufusi’s father, Steve, also played in the NFL, being selected in the twelfth round of the 1988 NFL Draft. Steve is currently the Coguars’ defensive line coach.
Kaufusi led BYU in tackles for a loss and sacks in each of the last two seasons. As a senior he accumulated 11 sacks and 20 tackles for a loss. He played both defensive end and linebacker for the Cougars, totaling 167 tackles and two interceptions. He led the nation as a senior in blocked field goals with four.
He played in 50 games as a Cougar, starting in 36. He was named to the 2015 Bednarik Award and Nagurski Trophy watch lists and was BYU’s 2015 Most Valuable Player.
Kaufusi graduated from BYU in December with a degree in statistics.
