Valley High School graduate selected in fifth round of NFL draft

Linebacker Stevenson Sylvester (6-2, 231), a Valley High School graduate who went to Utah, was selected in the fifth round of today's NFL Draft, No. 166 overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The selection surprised Sylvester, who did not speak to the Steelers before the draft.

“The Steelers are a dream come true because they have a great defense,” Sylvester said. “For the last three years, I’ve followed Mike Tomlin and thought he was a great coach, and I wanted to play for him.”

Sylvester will have some competition as inside linebacker, where James Farrior and Lawrence Timmons start.

“If (Sylvester is) good enough to make our football team, then we’ll find room for him somewhere,” Steelers linebackers Keith Butler coach told reporters. “That's a good problem to have.”

Sylvester will report for OTAs (organized team activities) Friday, and the following week will graduate from Utah with degrees in economics and mass communications.

Then he can turn full attention to his NFL career.

“It’s my type of team that likes to blitz,” Sylvester said.