Northwest Alum Embraces 'Opportunity' to Fulfill Childhood Dream

Germantown native Joe Lefeged was already one of the most celebrated football players to ever come out of Montgomery County. Now, the 6-foot, 210-pound safety is weeks away from realizing his childhood dream.

The 2011 NFL draft starts on April 28, and experts across the country expect big things from Lefeged, including ESPN's Todd McShay, who Lefeged projected to go somewhere in the third round, according to his a recent mock draft. 

NFLDraftScout.com ranked Lefeged No. 7 among all defensive prospects. And after his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium in February, and the subsequent interest he received from NFL teams, Lefeged said he hopes that he will hear his name called.

“It’s been a long journey,” Lefeged said. “But it’s also been a lot of fun, I’ve
enjoyed every moment of it and it will all be worth it if I’ve ever so
fortunate to have my name called.”

As a three-year starter at safety for Rutgers' Scarlet Knights, Lefeged posted 238 tackles during his college career, including 84 as a senior, along with a team-high six pass breakups, en route to second-team All-Big East honors.

Lefeged, a special teams contributor,  broke Rutgers’ single-season school record with 948 kickoff return yards as a senior, while averaging 24.9 yards per return. He also blocked four kicks during the season.

Prior to Rutgers, Lefeged starred at Bullis for three seasons, though he transferred to Northwest High School in 2006 for his senior year. He garnered "All-State" and "All-Met" honors, he went on to excel on the collegiate stage at Rutgers, garnering national attention. Though he only played there one season, Lefeged attributes the lessons he learned while a Jaguar that one season for much of his current success now.

“It means a lot to me,” Lefeged said of the possibility of being drafted. “I’ve worked hard to get where I’m at. And now, for draft day
to be just a few weeks away is kind of hard to believe and hasn’t
really hit me yet, although I’m sure it will soon. I’m just really
grateful and thank God every day for this opportunity that I have.”