Two former Colorado football players received the phone call many young linebackers and defensive backs grow up dreaming about Saturday.

Jordon Dizon and Terrence Wheatley were both picked in the second round of the NFL Draft. The Detroit Lions picked Dizon with the 45th overall pick and the New England Patriots selected Wheatley with the 62nd overall pick.

Wheatley said he had to ask New England coach Bill Belichick to repeat himself when he got the call because his family was roaring in the background.

"I'm on Cloud 9, 10, 11, all of them," Wheatley said. "I'm so happy to be going to a winning organization with high expectations."

Both players will report to their new teams this week.

When asked about the prospect of having to cover new teammate Randy Moss and defend passes thrown by Tom Brady, Wheatley said, "I just hope they don't score onme too much."

As for Dizon, no one knew much about the speedy kid from Hawaii when he stepped on to the practice fields at Colorado for the first time in 2004 and immediately began to turn heads with uncanny playmaking, speed and a nose for the football.

Dizon made his No. 44 jersey instantly recognizable by the time he completed his eligibility in the Independence Bowl in December, and he will have a more difficult time slipping under the radar this summer in the Motor City as he joins a new team at the highest level in the sport.

Within minutes of the pick, comparisons were already being drawn to former Lions All-Pro linebacker Chris Spielman, who was considered undersized just like Dizon when he was drafted by the Lions from Ohio State in the second round in 1988.

It was the highest a CU player has been picked in the draft since former Buff Tyler Brayton was picked by Oakland in 2003 with the 32nd overall selection. Former CU tight end Joe Klopfenstein was picked 46th overall by the St. Louis Rams two years ago.

Dizon joins Sean Tufts as the only CU linebackers to be drafted since 1999. Questions surrounded just how high Dizon would be picked leading up to the draft because of his size. He is 6-foot and 220 pounds.

When asked by the Detroit media whether he thought he was big enough to play in the NFL, Dizon expressed no concerns.

" I played in the Big 12, and I have to play against their offensive linemen and maybe a quarter of them go into the NFL," Dizon said. " I did it in college, I did it in the Big 12 and I'm pretty sure I can do it in the NFL. I'm actually guaranteeing I can do it in the NFL."

His overall strength was also a concern. At the NFL scouting combine in February, Dizon bench pressed 225 pounds only 12 times.

But while is measureables might raise eyebrows in a negative way, his heart and determination once the ball is in play are a rare commodity and characteristics the Lions coveted. Detroit finished last in the NFL in total defense last season and missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.

Lions president and CEO Matt Millen was effusive with his praise for Dizon.

"This is a guy who has great instincts; he has great field presence; he's very good in space; excellent vision," Millen said. "He's a guy also who can play all three positions. ... The one thing that he has that you can't teach is great instincts. As soon as I watched him, the first thing that hit me was his instincts. He's kind of a cross between Kurt Gouveia and Tedy Bruschi, that type of player who plays with great feel. He's a nickel backer, he can do a lot of different things but the main thing is he's got great presence."

Dizon left CU ranked as the program's fourth all-time leading tackler with 440 total stops. He made 160 of those tackles in a remarkable senior season in which he led the Big 12 Conference in tackling with 160 stops. Dizon also finished runner-up to Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis for the 2007 Butkus Award.

The last time Colorado had a Butkus Award finalist playing in its defense, Matt Russell won the award and was picked by Detroit in the fourth round of the 1997 draft.

Unlike most draft prospects, Dizon did not take time off from school this spring to focus on preparing for his big day Saturday. He remained in Boulder to focus on finishing up his degree and graduating next month in order to fulfill a promise he made to his mother.

There was a time when Wheatley feared he might not be able to play the game he loves any longer because of injury. So when the Patriots called it was a heartwarming moment for CU fans and those who are familiar with everything Wheatley has endured.

Wheatley underwent multiple surgeries on his right wrist during his five seasons in Boulder. He missed the entire 2005 season healing after having a dead bone removed and the joint fused, severely limiting mobility. He returned in 2006 and was named a first-team member of the Big 12 coaches' all-conference team.

He underwent another surgery following the season to replace a titanium plate in his wrist that had broken, and he came back in 2007 for another strong season in which he intercepted five passes in nine games and was a standout kick return man.

Wheatley graduated from CU in December and left the program with the third most interceptions in Colorado history with 14.

The draft continues today and former Buffs Hugh Charles and Tyler Polumbus also are considered possible draft picks.