“It means a lot to be a professional, especially for a high-class organization like this,” Singletary said sporting a tan suit. “I’m real excited about it.”

(Hat-tip/discussion Hoos1&1*)

*message board link that will expire

Given that we often proudly proclaim UVa’s multi-trick-pony athletics, it’s a good thing to finish in the top 20 of the Directors Cup on a semi-consistent basis. Virginia finished #17 this year, meaning that the Hoos have finished in the top-20 in ten of fifteen Directors Cup final standings.

On the other hand, Virginia has only finished in the top-ten once (8th in 1999) and in the top-fifteen five times. So, UVa is consistently on the cusp of the elite programs, but always barely missing it. Tim details this year’s near hits well, but there has to be something more chronic at work regarding Virginia’s inability to crack the top tier.

Thanks for the updates everyone. Illput on the Edge pointed me to this list on ESPN (scroll down).

Okay, I need to get a better handle of which Hoos are where in the NFL. Here’s the list I borrowed from Wikipedia, but let me know if they’ve missed anything:

* Branden Albert – Offensive Guard, Kansas City Chiefs
* Ronde Barber – Cornerback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Brian Barthelmes – Center, New England Patriots
* Darryl Blackstock – Linebacker, Arizona Cardinals
* Aaron Brooks – Quarterback, Free Agent
* Ahmad Brooks – Linebacker, Cincinnati Bengals
* Elton Brown – Guard, Arizona Cardinals
* Brad Butler – Tackle, Buffalo Bills
* Chris Canty – Defensive end, Dallas Cowboys
* Angelo Crowell – Linebacker, Buffalo Bills
* Isaiah Ekejiuba – Linebacker, Oakland Raiders
* Patrick Estes – Tackle, San Francisco 49ers
* James Farrior – Linebacker, Pittsburgh Steelers
* D’Brickashaw Ferguson – Tackle, New York Jets
* Marques Hagans – Wide receiver, St. Louis Rams
* Dennis Haley – Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens
* Thomas Jones – Running Back, New York Jets
* Patrick Kerney – Defensive end, Seattle Seahawks
* Ryan Kuehl – Long Snapper, New York Giants
* Chris Long – Defensive end, St. Louis Rams
* Wali Lundy – Running Back, Houston Texans
* Billy McMullen – Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings
* Heath Miller – Tight End, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Fontel Mines – Tight End, Chicago Bears
* Alvin Pearman – Running Back, Jacksonville Jaguars
* Wali Rainer – Linebacker, Houston Texans
* Matt Schaub – Quarterback, Houston Texans
* John St. Clair – Tackle, Chicago Bears
* Kurt Smith – Free Agent
* Marquis Weeks – Running Back, Seattle Seahawks
* Terrence Wilkins – Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts
* Jamaine Winborne – Cornerback, Baltimore Ravens
* Jason Snelling – Running Back, Atlanta Falcons

If you’ve got any additions, let me know. I’ve dropped a thread at the football board* and the Edge*, and you can always email me.

*message board links that will expire

In case you missed it (and you message boarders probably didn’t), Brad Butler is turning into quite the professional athlete.

The Buffalo Bills have locked up starting right guard Brad Butler for the next five seasons, through 2012.

Terms of the new contract extension Butler signed Wednesday became available Friday. Butler’s old deal ran through 2009. The new deal extends his contract for three additional years and includes $8.8 million in new money, according to league sources. That’s an average of $2.9 million on the three-year extension.

Counting the full five years he’s under contract, he will average just about $2 million a year….

Butler, 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, started all 16 games last season. He was a fifth-round draft pick out of the University of Virginia in 2006.

Yet another Wahoo making it in the pros. Wasn’t I just talking about Lineman U a couple days ago? Anyway, here’s an old Edge article (sub. req.) about Butler first trying to make it with the Bills a couple years ago. I like how this story has turned out!

ESPN’s Chad Ford today:

Singletary could be nice second-round pick.

Ford last night:

The Kings needed a point guard and Singletary is a talent. He can score and dish and could be a nice backup point guard. But … Singletary isn’t good enough to take over — he could barely produce wins in the ACC.

I didn’t know that a phrase like “nice second-round pick” could have both positive and negative meanings. And, I guess misleading meanings too, given that UVa’s lack of wins was more a function of Sean having little help from others than him failing to delivering.

Anyone want to help this guy out re Sean?

Great news for Sean and the program. Here’s Whitey with the details:

The Sacramento Kings picked the Philadelphia native in the second round with the 42nd overall pick.

Singletary, who was hoping to be drafted in the first round, was selected right where many of the experts expected him to go.

Singletary is headed to a pretty good situation. Sacramento isn’t very deep at point guard. The Kings starter, Beno Udrih, is an unrestricted free agent. The team’s only other guards are veterans John Salmons and Francisco Garcia, as well as second-year man Quincy Douby.

Sacramento spent its first-round pick on Jason Thompson, a 6-foot-11 center from Rider. After Singletary, the Kings took Patrick Ewing, Jr. from Georgetown. Singletary is the first Virginia player selected in the NBA Draft since Roger Mason, Jr. was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2002.

Congrats to Sean from theSabre.com family! WCAV has analysis and a pre-draft interview with the Hoo of the hour — check it out here.

Will-O evaluates the conference disappointments from last season. Prepare to be depressed all over again.

His first trip to UVa. Kid knows how to dress.

Got a Wahoo baby pic you want to share? Send ‘em to me.