For the third and final time in the Bill Clark era, a UAB football player was drafted by the NFL.

DeWayne McBride joins the list as he was picked by the Minnesota Vikings with the 222nd overall selection in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. McBride is the 15th overall draft pick in UAB history and the third in as many seasons, joining linebackers Jordan Smith (2021) and Alex Wright (2022).

Read more on UAB’s DeWayne McBride:

DeWayne McBride named C-USA Offensive Player of the Year

‘Bigger than me’: DeWayne McBride shuns accolades in favor of team success

‘He wants to be special’: UAB’s DeWayne McBride set for sophomore encore

McBride finished the 2022 regular season with a nation-leading 1,713 rushing yards, breaking UAB’s single-season rushing record previously held by Jordan Howard, and scored 19 touchdowns to break Spencer Brown’s previous record of 16 touchdowns in 2018.

McBride was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week three times during the 2022 season.

He led the nation in yards per game (155.7) and rushes of more than 20 yards (23), and broke Howard’s single-game rushing record with a 272-yard performance in the season finale at LA Tech.

McBride was the NCAA active career leader in yards per carry (7.3) upon completing his career and was the focal point of a unit ranked fifth in the nation in rushing offense (243.8 ypg). He led the Blazers to a school-record 2,925 rushing yards during the regular season and set single-season program records in yards per carry (7.35), 100-yard games (10), 200-yard games (3), total points (118) and multi-touchdown games (5).

UAB players selected in the NFL Draft

• 2023: DeWayne McBride (RB), Minnesota (7th round, 222nd overall)
• 2022: Alex Wright (DE), Cleveland (3rd round, 78th overall)
• 2021: Jordan Smith (LB), Jacksonville
• 2015: J.J. Nelson (WR), Arizona (5th round, 159th overall) and Kennard Backman (TE), Green Bay (6th round, 213th overall)
• 2012: Matt McCants (OT), New York Giants (6th round, 201st overall)
• 2010: Joe Webb (QB), Minnesota (6th round, 199th overall)
• 2005: Roddy White (WR), Atlanta (1st round, 27th overall)
• 2002: Bryan Thomas (DE), New York Jets (1st round, 22nd overall) and Eddie Freeman (DT), Kansas City (2nd round, 43rd overall)
• 2001: Otis Leverette (DE), Miami (6th round, 187th overall)
• 2000: Rodregis Brooks (DB), Indianapolis (7th round, 238th overall)
• 1999: Pernell Davis (DT), Philadelphia (7th round, 251st overall)
• 1998: Dainon Sidney (DB), Tennessee (3rd round, 77th overall) and Izell Reese (DB), Dallas (6th round, 188th overall)