Players With Local Ties Who Played Professional Sports

El Pasoan Omar Salgado became the No. 1 overall draft pick in the Major League Soccer draft on Jan. 13, 2011.

Others with El Paso connections have also been chosen high in their respective professional league drafts.

Jim Barnes, who played for Texas Western College (now UTEP) was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft when he was chosen by the New York Knicks in 1964

Fred Carr, who played for UTEP, was the No. 5 overall draft pick in the NFL draft in 1968.

John Skelton, chosen in the fifth round of the NFL draft in 2010, became the Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback during the team’s last few games. Skelton graduated from Burges High School.

Since 1940, 77 UTEP players have been chosen in the NFL draft and more than 100 have played professional football. Eight Miners have been drafted by NFL clubs since 2000.

UTEP linebacker Thomas Howard was picked by Oakland in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Howard was the sixth selection of the second round, and the 38th overall selection in the draft. He became the first Miner player to be chosen in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1973, when quarterback Gary Keithley was the 19th pick of the second round (45th overall pick) by the St. Louis Cardinals. It also marked the earliest a UTEP player was taken in the draft since 1969, when defensive back Grady Cavness was the 36th overall selection (10th in the second round) by the Denver Broncos.

See which UTEP players have played in the NBA by clicking here.