Pitt's Savage, Street Taken On Final Day Of NFL Draft
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- When Tom Savage was looking for another school after leaving Arizona in 2011, his father put him to work in construction.
It was an experience that taught Houston's new quarterback to value the chance to play football.
"It was tough," Savage said. "I know what I don't want to do after football and that's work construction. It was brutal on me. I grew up a lot as a man and I'm excited to get this opportunity."
After selecting defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick and adding an offensive lineman, a tight end and a nose tackle, Houston finally filled the need at quarterback when they took Pitt's Savage with the 135th pick.
The Texans were looking for a quarterback after Matt Schaub had a terrible season in 2013 and was benched before being traded to Oakland in the offseason. New coach Bill O'Brien said on ESPN that Savage would compete with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum and T.J. Yates for Houston's starting job.
Savage threw for 2,958 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions in one season at Pittsburgh. The 6-4, 228-pound player started all 13 games for the Panthers last season. He became the highest drafted quarterback by the Texans since they selected Dave Ragone with the 88th pick in 2003.
Savage played his first two seasons at Rutgers, where he had 2,211 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman in 2009. He then transferred to Arizona, but didn't play there after a coaching change and eventually transferred to Pitt, where he sat out another year before becoming the starter there in 2013.
"I just think, from a football standpoint, hitting rock bottom I think it was the best thing for me," Savage said. "It's great to go to a school and play for three years and be the man for three years, but I think you develop as a man doing the scout team as a redshirt junior and humbling yourself. I went there and was humbled and I fell in love with the game again because I've had it taken away and I know what the outside world is with working construction and all that stuff."
Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys were on the move again during the final day of the NFL draft, this time to help their offense.
The Cowboys traded up in the fifth round Saturday to get Pitt receiver Devin Street with the 146th overall pick after staying put in the fourth round and getting Iowa linebacker Anthony Hitchens at No. 119.
The Cowboys moved up 12 spots by giving Detroit their fifth-round spot at No. 158 and the first of six Dallas picks in the seventh round. A day earlier, they jumped 13 spots to get Boise State defensive end Demarcus Lawrence with the second pick in the second round, No. 34 overall.
Dallas has two starting receivers in Dez Bryant and 2013 third-round pick Terrance Williams but had a void after the release of Miles Austin. Street never had a 1,000-yard season in his four years at Pitt, finishing with 2,901 career yards and 16 touchdowns.
Street has good size at 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds but ran a modest 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
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