Coyote Chatter
USD’s Bulaga Has Big Reason for NFL Draft Interest
Tom Berg
USD Sports Information Coordinator |
It’s safe to say that Kim Bulaga will have much more interest in the NFL Draft this year than usual.
Bulaga, a freshman on the University of South Dakota volleyball team, has good reason for following the 2010 draft closely – her older brother, Bryan, is a highly-touted offensive line prospect in this year’s draft, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Central time on Thursday night (April 22) in New York City.
Bryan Bulaga is projected as a top 15 overall pick in this year’s draft and is listed as the No. 6 offensive line prospect according to Scouts Inc. He wrapped up an outstanding playing career at the University of Iowa last fall. He’s been prominently featured on draft projections on both ESPN and the NFL Network, along with several internet outlets.
“It’s very strange to me,” said Kim Bulaga, who is the second Division I athlete in her family. “I get very excited when I see it. I am just so proud of him. He’s like an inspiration to me. We’re from a little small town in Illinois – stuff like this doesn’t happen all the time.”
The Bulaga family is from Crystal Lake, Ill., which is located about an hour from Chicago and has a population of 38,000 (2000 census).
Kim Bulaga and her family – which includes Bryan, older brother Bill and her parents, Joe and Kathi – will fly to New York on Wednesday and be there for the first round, which will be broadcast in prime time for the first time ever. Once announced, all first-round draft picks go up on stage at the Radio Music Hall to pose for a picture with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Some mock drafts have Bryan Bulaga going as high as the No. 5 overall pick while most have him being selected in the top 15.
Kim Bulaga |
For Kim Bulaga, there are “no words to describe” seeing her brother and family in the limelight on Thursday night.
“It’s going to be so overwhelming,” said Kim Bulaga, who had a solid freshman campaign for USD in 2009 and will be a sophomore this fall for the Coyotes. “You always see those families on TV and wonder what it would be like. I’ll be super excited.”
Because of her busy volleyball schedule with the Coyotes, Kim Bulaga didn’t get many chances to see Bryan play in-person in 2009. But she did see the Hawkeyes’ Orange Bowl win in January, and catches his games on TV “as much as I possibly could.”
Kim Bulaga is two years younger than Bryan, and she says as the two have gotten older, they’ve gotten closer. The talk of Bryan Bulaga’s NFL draft prospects started near the end of his sophomore year, she said.
“That’s when it started to pick up,” Kim said.
On Thursday night, all the Bulaga family can do is wait until Bryan’s name is called by Roger Goodell.
“It’s been building up,” Kim said. “I will be nervous. For the most part, I’ll be excited to see where he is going.”
Note: The NFL Draft begins at 6:30 p.m. Central time and will be broadcast live on ESPN and the NFL Network.
About Coyote Chatter
Coyote Chatter is the sports information blog put together by USD sports information coordinator Tom Berg. This will be updated periodically, and also includes the Where Are They Now? Feature. If you have any submissions for updates on former athletes, coaches, etc., for this feature, please email tom.berg@usd.edu. We will also provide short tidbits on other former Coyotes.
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