Not all gridiron and hobby stars are first round draft picks. Houston's Steve Slaton wasn't taken until the bottom half of the third round, but it didn't take long for him to outplay his draft position - and numerous backs picked before him.
It's not that Slaton didn't offer first round-type production at West Virginia. Though he started his freshman year as a fourth-stringer, he finished 2005 with 1128 yards rushing.
The next two seasons were even better, as Slaton teamed with quarterback Pat White to terrorize opponents out of the Mountaineers' spread offense. But injuries and the emergence of Noel Devine caught up with him at the end of his junior year, and he declared for the 2008 NFL Draft.
Doubt about his size and his ability to adapt to a conventional pro offense helped ensure he was still around for the 89th overall. Both fears turned out to be unfounded, as Slaton emerged from a crowded backfield situation and racked up 1124 yards on the ground in his first 14 games. He really caught fire in December, going for 100 yards or more in the first three games of the month.
Slaton seems like a perfect fit in the Texans offense. With only Andre Johnson and Mario Williams to interest Houston-area collectors, Slaton's 2008 rookie cards look like keepers. True fanatics can hunt for his Leaf Rookies and Stars Longevity # 249, an autographed card with a print run of just 10 copies.
2008 Steve Slaton Rookie Cards
- Absolute Memorabilia # 254 - autographed jersey card #'d to 299
- Bowman # 189
- Bowman Chrome # BC74
- Bowman Sterling # 154A - jersey card #'d to 569
- Donruss Classics # 235 - autographed, #'d to 99
- Donruss Elite # 123 - #'d to 999
- Donruss Gridiron Gear # 233 - autographed jersey card #'d to 100
- Donruss Threads # 273 - autographed, #'d to 120
- Finest # 123 - #'d to 699
- Leaf Certified Materials # 218 - jersey card #'d to 599
- Leaf Limited # 334 - autographed jersey card #'d to 99
- Leaf Rookies and Stars # 249 - autographed, #'d to 118
- Leaf Rookies and Stars Longevity # 249 - autographed, #'d to 10
- Playoff Prestige # 193
- Score # 392
- Select # 392 - #'d to 999
- SP Rookie Threads # SS9 - autographed w/ total print run of 252
- SPx # 176 - autographed jersey card #'d to 599
- Stadium Club # 121 - #'d to 1799
- Topps # 355
- Topps Chrome # TC190
- Topps Kickoff # 187
- Topps Letterman # 72 - #'d to 419
- Topps Rookie Progression # 201
- UD Masterpieces # 76
- Upper Deck Draft Edition # 92
- Upper Deck Icons # 190 - #'d to 750
- Upper Deck Premier # 134 - autographed jersey card #'d to 275