NEWARK, DE -- University of Delaware senior quarterback Joe Flacco did not complete a pass, throw a touchdown, or even lead the Blue Hen football team to a victory last week, but what he accomplished certainly made him an easy choice to claim the Wilmington Trust Best of the Blue Hens Athlete of the Week for April 28.

Flacco, the Blue Hens’ 6-6, 230 lb. standout signal caller, became the first player in Delaware football history to be selected in the first round of the National Football League Draft Saturday afternoon when he was selected with the 18th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens, who went 5-11 last season and will be led by first-year head coach John Harbaugh this fall, made a trade with the Houston Texans to move up in the draft and used it to make Flacco the second quarterback selected. Matt Ryan of Boston College was the first quarterback selected when he was picked by Atlanta with the third pick overall.

Flacco, who played two seasons at Delaware after transferring from the University of Pittsburgh, becomes just the second NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA I-AA) quarterback to be selected in the first round in NFL history. Steve McNair, who played for the Ravens last season but retired following the season, was picked third overall by the Tennessee Titans out of Alcorn State in the 1995 draft.

A native of Audubon, NJ (Audubon High School), Flacco becomes the highest NFL draft pick in Delaware history and the fourth quarterback selected. Quarterback Rich Gannon, who retired two years ago following a All-Pro career, was selected in the fourth round of the 1987 draft by New England (and later traded to Minnesota), becoming the highest pick ever for the Blue Hens.

Other UD quarterbacks selected in the draft were Jeff Komlo by Detroit in 1979, Scott Brunner by the New York Giants in 1980, and Andy Hall by Philadelphia in 2006.

Flacco, an honor student as an accounting major, set 20 school records during his career and enjoyed an outstanding senior season for the Blue Hens in 2007, leading the team to the NCAA Division I FCS national championship game.

He earned Colonial Athletic Association Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Eastern College Athletic Conference Eastern Player of the Year, and third team The Sports Network All-American honors. He completed 331 of 521 passes for 4,263 yards and 23 touchdowns with just five interceptions during the 2007 season as he ranked No. 6 in the nation in passing yardage per game (284.2), No. 10 in total offense per game (285.7), and No. 18 in passing efficiency (144.91).

Past Winners:

2007-08 Season
Apr. 28 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Apr. 21 - Chase Renoll (Men's Outdoor Track & Field)
Apr. 14 - Tommy Ellison (Golf)
Apr. 7 - Susan Pollack (Women's Tennis)
Mar. 31 - Emily Schaknowski (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 24 - Asha Quant (Women's Outdoor Track & Field)
Mar. 16 - Anne Marie Pagano (Softball)
Mar. 9 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Mar. 2 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Feb. 25 - Ryan Cuneo (Baseball)
Feb. 18 - Asha Quant (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Feb. 11 - Vincent Giordano (Men's Lacrosse)
Feb. 4 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Jan. 28 - John Viotto (Men's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 21 - Kelli McDonald (Women's Indoor Track & Field)
Jan. 14 - Herb Courtney (Men's Basketball)
Jan. 7 - Andrew Zinn (Men's Swimming & Diving)
Dec. 31 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Dec. 24 - Alphonso Dawson (Men's Basketball)
Dec. 16 - Mark Duncan (Football)
Dec. 9 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Dec. 2 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Nov. 26 - Omar Cuff (Football)
Nov. 19 - Megan Welch (Volleyball)
Nov. 12 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Nov. 5 - Sobhan Tadjalli (Men's Soccer)
Oct. 29 - Christina Antonopoulos (Women's Cross Country)
Oct. 22 - Emily Sammis (Women's Soccer)
Oct. 15 - Omar Cuff (Football)
Oct. 8 - Kyle Schmid (Men's Cross Country)
Oct. 1 - Colleen Walsh (Volleyball)
Sept. 23 - Nolan Greenberg (Men's Tennis)
Sept. 16 - Joe Flacco (Football)
Sept. 9 - Jason Bernstein (Golf)
Sept. 2 - Casey Howard (Field Hockey)
Aug. 26 - Stephanie Barry (Volleyball)

2006-07 Season
Jan. 30 - Asha Quant (Women's Indoor Track)
Feb. 4 - Kyle DeHaven (Women's Basketball)
Feb. 11 - Sam McMahon (Men's Basketball)
Feb. 18 - Maryann Walker (Women's Swimming)
Feb. 25 - Adam Zuder-Havens (Men's Lacrosse)
Mar. 2 - Cristine Marquez (Women's Indoor Track)
Mar. 12 - Debbie Sloan (Women's Lacrosse)
Mar. 19 - Tyresa Smith (Women's Basketball)
Mar. 26 - Joe McLister (Golf)
Apr. 2 - Carolynn Sloat (Softball)
Apr. 9 - Bryan Hagerich (Baseball)
Apr. 16 - Alexi Capsouras (Women's Outdoor Track)
Apr. 23 - Jared Wasser (Men's Outdoor Track)
Apr. 30 - Alex Smith (Men's Lacrosse)
May 7 - David Slovak (Baseball)
May 14 - Tommy Scherr (Men's Lacrosse)
May 21 - Dan Deckelbaum (Men's Lacrosse)
May 28 - Mike McGuire (Baseball)