April 30, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Lake County is halfway there. On Sunday, former UCF star Joe Burnett of Eustis was selected in the fifth round of the National Football League Draft by Pittsburgh.
In June, the county's other favorite son - senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) - hopes to hear his name called in the National Basketball Association Draft. Taylor says that the success of the two friends is no surprise to those in Lake County.
"People in Lake County, they have always said that me and Joe were going to be the guys who made it," Taylor said. "The things that we are doing now, we have been doing since we started playing. People have always thought that we stood out more than anyone else."
Taylor, who attended Tavares High School, and Burnett, who starred at Eustis High School, were basketball and football rivals on the prep level. The pair did play on the AAU basketball circuit together.
Prior to the NFL Draft, Taylor spoke to Burnett several times about the tryout process. Burnett provided his friend with some good advice, which should come in handy for Taylor as the NBA Draft nears.
Taylor was excited for Burnett on Sunday. Now he hopes that Lake County has another product start a professional career soon.
"That has always been Joe's dream. Since I have known him, like second grade, he always wanted to play professional football. To see both of us now getting there, it is really a blessing," he said.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Notes: After completing final exams, Taylor is planning on heading to Indianapolis, Ind., to prepare for the draft. The draft is scheduled for June 25... When the spring semester concludes, freshman guard Isaac Sosa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) will head home to start training for the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship. The tournament is slated to begin July 2 in New Zealand.