Former University of Wisconsin defensive back Jack Ikegwuonu appears to have accepted the fact a knee injury suffered in January will prevent him from playing until the 2009 NFL season.
He sounded relieved Sunday after being drafted earlier than expected, in the fourth round and No. 131 overall, by the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Having this opportunity is a blessing in itself,” Ikegwuonu, who bypassed his senior season at UW, told reporters. “I am just happy to be in the NFL. It is a dream of mine.”
Yet while his new teammates will be participating in training camp this summer, Ikegwuonu could be in an Illinois courtroom facing charges of residential burglary (a felony) and criminal trespass (a misdemeanor) stemming from an incident in November 2006.