Pewter Report is proud to annouce that Bucs fan Frantz Medard of Ardsley, NY is this year's winner of the Pewter Report 7th-Round Steal Essay Contest. There were dozens of entries, but Medard made a compelling case for drafting Elon University's record-setting wide receiver Terrell Hudgins.

In addition to having his winning entry published on PewterReport.com, Medard also receives a color, glossy 8x10 of Pewter Report's 2009 Midseason Awards Issue cover autographed by Tampa Bay wide receiver Sammie Stroughter. Stroughter, whose game-winning TD catch against Green Bay is featured on the cover, was considered a seventh-round steal in last year's draft.

Pewter Report wants to thank the dozens of Bucs fans that took the time to research and write about the player they thought would make a great seventh-round steal for the Buccaneers. All entries were very well done, and it was more difficult than expected to determine the winner because the entries were so well thought through.

What set Frantz's essay apart was that it met all of the criteria in that it was under 500 words (some were longer), it featured a player who was likely to be available in the seventh round (some entries were about players who will likely be taken in rounds 5-6), it had all of the important information in terms of height, weight, 40-time and college production (some entries did not) and this was a relatively obscure selection as Hudgins did not go to a big-time FBS school. The winning entry also mentioned Stroughter, who was last year's seventh-round steal.

Well done, Frantz! Congratulations from the Pewter Report staff! Now on to the winning entry.

7TH-ROUND STEAL ESSAY CONTEST WINNER - FRANTZ MEDARD
ELON WR TERRELL HUDGINS

Tampa Bay was very lucky to land Oregon State wide receiver Sammie Stroughter in the seventh round last year. He certainly showed flashes of being a special young player. Considering his production last season he was certainly a steal for this franchise, but who could be this year’s Stroughter?

I have my eyes on Terrell Hudgins, a wide receiver from Elon University.

Who? I’ll explain.
 
Hudgins is a small-school wide receiver with big-time talent and potential. At Rocky Mount, N.C. high school he played quarterback and he broke nearly every school passing record. In 2005, after a dominant season, he was named North Carolina’s Athlete of the Year.

He originally committed to East Carolina, but once he learned that he would be moved to the defensive side of the ball he came to Elon University. At Elon he was able to stay on the offensive side of the ball, but he was moved to wide receiver. Playing receiver turned out to be the best decision he ever made.

Hudgins is 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, and while his speed has been called into question before, he ran a respectable 4.52 40-yard dash at his school’s pro day. Not only is he blessed with tremendous physical talent, one could argue that he is the most productive wide receiver in NCAA history.

Over his illustrious career at Elon, he set 10 NCAA FCS receiving records, including numerous records that were held by Jerry Rice. Yes, that Jerry Rice.

Terrell Hudgins is the proud owner of the following NCAA records:

Career receptions – 395
Career receiving yards – 5,250
Career games of 100 receiving yards – 28
Career 1,000-yard receiving seasons – 4
    
Hudgins proved over his career that he is a dynamic talent that could not be stopped. His combination of size and athleticism made him a matchup nightmare. His hometown newspaper, the Rocky Mount Telegram, calls him “Shakespeare, because all he does is make plays.”

If this kid went to Florida or USC he would be getting the national exposure he deserves, but when you go to a school like Elon, which is in North Carolina by the way, people really don’t notice you.

In the 2010 draft the Bucs will be trying to fill a lot of holes throughout the roster. The team needs help on our defensive line, it needs to find more help in the secondary, and it needs to find some depth on the offensive line. More important than any of those, however, is the need to upgrade Tampa Bay’s receiving corps.

If the 2010 NFL season started today the Bucs would have the worst receiving corps in the league. Hudgins would certainly help us upgrade the position. His size and experience would be a welcome addition, and with the depth chart at the position being so wide open, Hudgins could step in early and make an impact.

In the seventh round Hudgins would be a steal, and the Bucs might just have the next Stroughter on their hands.