MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As projected, the step up to the NFL will bring a position change for former West Virginia defensive end Shaq Riddick.
“I’ll be standing up at the Will linebacker on the empty side,” Riddick told MetroNews “Sportsline” during a Tuesday night segment.
The slender 6-foot-6 Riddick, who played his only season at West Virginia at 242 pounds, climbed to 260 by the time he was drafted in Saturday’s fifth round by the Cardinals.
“Arizona is pretty comfortable where my weight is,” he said. “I’m happy at being 260 to 270.”
The call from the Cardinals was hardly a surprise for Riddick, considering their coaches were the only ones to invite him for a private workout. He claimed Arizona’s interest was high even before pro day, when he timed 4.65 and a 4.59 in the 40.
“They could see that I was real versatile and real athletic, because 4.6 at my size and length is pretty good,” Riddick said.
After becoming an FCS All-American at Gardner-Webb, where he graduated in three seasons, Riddick transferred to West Virginia in August. He saw limited action against the supersized, run-heavy offenses of Alabama and Oklahoma, before surfacing as a vital component against spread attacks. His three-sack performance in the upset of Baylor was an eye-grabber, as were his seven tackles in a last-play loss to TCU.
Though convinced he would have been drafted even had he stayed at Gardner-Webb, his selection as the Big 12 newcomer of the year and team-leading seven sacks alleviated some doubts from NFL clubs.
“I thank West Virginia for giving me the opportunity to play there, and I loved it when I was there,” said Riddick, who reports to rookie mini-camp this weekend in Tempe. “It ended up with the results I wanted to, making the decision to step up in competition.”