By Myra Bean and Angie Ledbetter

There is a lot of excitement in Panola County about the upcoming draft this weekend. For the first time ever, three former South Panola teammates are up for consideration.

Peria Jerry, Jamarca Sanford and Derek Pegues are all eligible for this year’s draft class. Sanford and Jerry are 2004 gradutes of South Panola. Pegues is a 2005 graduate.

“We are so excited and hopeful, this will be his dream coming true,” said Candace Fondren, mother of Pegues.

All three contributed to the recent dynasty known as South Panola football.

They were on the 2002 team which went undefeated until the state championship loss. Then they turned around and led the team to the 2003 state championship and started the team on a win-streak that would span six years.

They blazed the trail for an 89-game win streak that was broken in the state championship of 2008.

Though the three have been through some rough times through their college years, they still managed to draw the attention of NFL scouts each time they took to the field.

Word in the draft world is that Jerry is expected to go high in the first round with whispers saying to the Detriot Lions.

On his video on the NFL draft website, the narrator said, “Expect Jerry to be the second defensive tackle off the boards in April.”

He missed the first game of the 2008 season while recovering from arthroscopic surgery. He started the last 11 of 12 games and had a stellar senior season as he helped lead the Ole Miss Rebels to a Cotton Bowl victory.

Since the end of the season, the players have been traveling around to different combines and visiting different teams.

“It’s been going good. I’ve just really been hanging out and seeing what everybody is saying,” Jerry said. “I think Ole Miss prepared me well for the NFL.”

Though being redshirted his freshman season going through two coaching changes, Sanford still managed to stand out from his Rebel teammates in tackles.

His position said free safety but he led the SEC in tackles over his career.

The draft tracker wrote, “If Sanford can prove his athleticism, the versatile, durable performer could move into middle-round consideration for the 2009 draft.”

His numbers in the combine read 40-yard dash, 4.56 seconds; bench press 29 reps, vertical jump 33.5; broad jump 116 inches, three cone drill 7.02 seconds and 20-yard shuffle 4.22 seconds.

Sanford, 5’10”, 214 pounds, said he feels like he did his best in the combine.

“It’s been a long journey,” he said. “I feel like I couldn’t have done anything any better. I went out and ran good. I tried to put together a good combine since I left Ole Miss.  I’ve just been working out and trying to get the process over with. I’ve just been trying to perform every time I went out and show the scouts that I can play with the best. Right now, I’m just waiting around to see how it’s going to work out.”

Sanford will take with him the knowledge of 287 career tackles while at Ole Miss. Even though he is looking forward to the draft, Sanford knows that is just the beginning.

“Like they all say, it’s not when you get drafted, it’s you what you do after you get there. All I want is the opportunity and prove myself,” he said.

Instead of 2008 improving on a Liberty Bowl 2007 season for Pegues and the Mississippi State Bulldogs, it finished in a pit of disappointment, injury and coach loss.

In the Egg Bowl, Pegues finished the game watching from the sideline with an injury he sustained in the game. His Bulldogs fell to the Ole Miss Rebels 45-0 and all he could do was watching.

Regardless of all that Pegues was selected to the All-SEC first team as a free safety.

He is one of the few players in recent history to be named all-SEC in different positions. In his freshman season, he was named second team all-SEC as a cornerback.

Though he can play many positions, the draft tracker notes he has to prove to the NFL he can excel in one area.

In the combine, Pegues posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.69 seconds, 23 reps, 36 inch vertical leap, 119 broad jump; three cone drill, 7.08 seconds and 20 yard shuffle, 4.31 seconds.

The 2009 NFL Draft takes place April 25-26 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Teams select college players in seven rounds, spread out over two days. Draft position is determined by reverse order of finish and is broadcast on NFL Network. First pick is 3 p.m.