Kansas City, MO – Wagner football standout
Titus Leo was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday, becoming the highest draft pick in school history.
Leo was selected with the 211
th overall pick and will reunite with former Seahawk Chris Williams in Indianapolis. The former All-NEC defensive tackle will enter his third NFL season in 2023.
"Today is a great day for Wagner College and our athletic department," Wagner College Director of Athletics Brendan Fahey commented. "Titus embodies all the values we look for in our student-athletes and we can't wait to cheer on another Seahawk on Sundays!"
"We're excited for Titus and can't wait to see what he does in Indianapolis as our NFL family keeps growing," Wagner head football coach
Tom Masella added. "His dedication to our program, unbelievable work ethic and loyalty to Wagner will make him successful at the next level."
Leo was once again a First Team All-NEC selection in 2022 and played in the prestigious East West Shrine Bowl following the 2022 season.
A two-time NEC Defensive Player of the Year, Leo finished third in the NEC in tackles for loss with 1.27 per game. Leo was tied for the team lead with 65 total tackles on the season while leading the Seahawks with three sacks.
Leo was the recipient of multiple preseason All-America honors and departs Wagner and the NEC as one of the most decorated defensive players in school and league history.
Throughout his five-year career, Leo compiled 234 total tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and six forced fumbles.
Leo was named to the watch list for the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl. Leo also earned a spot on the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, which Stats Perform presents to the national defensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
In 2021, Leo was also named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Leo is the fourth Seahawk ever to be selected in the NFL draft and first since Greg Senat, who was selected with the 212
th pick in 2018 by the Baltimore Ravens. The other two Seahawk NFL draft picks include Rich Kotite, who was selected in the 18
th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, and Allan Ferrie, a 7th-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.
Following his Hall of Fame playing career at Wagner, and before he would go on to become a longtime NFL assistant coach and later head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets, Kotite spent five seasons in the NFL (1967-72), one with the Pittsburgh Steelers and four with the New York Giants.
In total, four former Seahawks were under contract in the NFL during the 2022 season in Williams, Senat, former Super Bowl Champion Cam Gill, and veteran linebacker Julian Stanford.
