Boston College Athletics
Three Former Eagles Selected in the 2015 NFL Draft
May 02, 2015 | Football
Chicago, Ill. - Three former Boston College football players were selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, which took place at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Ill. Offensive linemen Ian Silberman and Andy Gallik were drafted in the sixth round while defensive end Brian Mihalik was taken in the seventh round.
Silberman, a graduate transfer from Florida, was taken as the 190th overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers while Gallik, the four-year starting center for the Eagles, was drafted 208th overall by the Tennessee Titans. Mihalik, who played 44 gamesain his BC career, joined the Philadelphia Eagles as the 237th overall pick.
Silberman and Gallik helped lead the BC offensive line that allowed the rush game to flourish. The Eagles ranked 14th in the nation with 254.7 yards per game. The Eagles racked up over 500 yards of offense three times and over 400 yards five times. The offensive line blocked for a rushing attack that garnered at least 300 yards in four games. BC backs rush for 100 yards in nine times and the O line allowed just 21 sacks on the year. BC became the second ACC school since 2000 to record back-to-back games of at least 400 rushing yards (452 vs. USC, Sept. 13 and 413 vs. Maine, Sept. 20). The offensive line also helped pave the way for quarterback Tyler Murphy to break the ACC single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,079) and BC's career QB rushing yards record.
In his senior campaign, Gallik was a 2014 Rimington Trophy finalist, given to the top center in the college football, and earned ACSMA All-ACC first-team and Coaches All-ACC second-team honors. The Evergreen Park, Ill., native was voted a team captain in his final season at The Heights and named to the All-New England Team and ESPN.com All-ACC Team. In 2013, he garnered ACSMA All-ACC second-team accolades. He earned ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors after the Eagles defeated then ninth-ranked Southern California as the Eagles rushed for 452 yards and five touchdowns.
In 2013, he centered an offensive line that yielded a Heisman Memorial Trophy finalist and the ACC's first Doak Walker Award recipient in running back Andre Williams, who became the 16th player in FBS history to rush for 2,000 yards in the regular season. He blocked for Williams in his historic 339-yard rushing performance against NC State on Nov. 16, 2013, setting ACC and school records. The rushing attack averaged 212.5 yards per game, a mark good for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 20th among all teams in college football.
Silberman, a Fleming Island, Fla., native, joined the Eagles for his final year of edibility after playing his first three years at the University of Florida. As an Eagle, Silberman - who started every game at right tackle - earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference third-team honors by the league's coaches and honorable mention in the league's media vote. While at Florida, Silberman appeared in 20 games with seven starts. He came to Gainesville as a four-star recruit and the eighth-ranked offensive tackle according to rivals.com.
He started every game of his senior campaign, was a member of the BC defense that ranked second in the nation for rush defense, allowing just 94.2 yards per game. He earned Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week honors for performance after the 30-14 victory at NC State. He sacked quarterback Jacoby Brissett for a loss of eight yards and registered first career interception, returning the ball 21 yards to State's 10-yard line to start the second half, breaking Brissett's streak of 187 passes without a pick. In the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Mihalik notched four tackles, including a sack for a loss of six yards. He recorded a career-high seven tackles at Syracuse on Nov. 30, 2013, notching 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble against the Orange.
