Pickard drawing NFL interest

Former OPRF High School student-athlete David Pickard is drawing attention from NFL scouts for his play as an offensive lineman for the Southern Illinois University football team.

Pickard, who graduated from OPRF in 2006, is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive tackle for the Salukis. The junior was rated as the third-best offensive tackle in the Football Championship Subdivision and named one of the top 10 offensive linemen in the nation by The Sports Network, among other accolades.

Last season, Pickard helped the offense average 34 points per game. Southern Illinois is 1-3 thus far this season.

One of Pickard's teammates at Southern is Nico Krajecki, who recently graduated from Fenwick High School. Krajecki is a freshman tight end for the Salukis.