Former Carvers Bay HS star Geathers taken by Colts in fourth round of NFL Draft

Georgetown’s first family of football had more reason to celebrate Saturday while adding yet another NFL draftee from the family tree.

Former Carvers Bay High School and University of Central Florida standout Clayton Geathers was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, going to the Indianapolis Colts with the 109th overall pick.

He’s expected to join the team this coming week for its minicamp and is set to become the sixth member of his family to join an NFL roster, following uncles Robert Geathers Sr. and Jumpy Geathers and cousins Robert Jr., Clifton and Kwame.

“It’s a blessing. It was so surreal just getting the call and just being around my family,” Clayton Geathers said by phone Saturday afternoon shortly after his selection. “It’s just a blessing to have the family pedigree and having the family around supporting you.”

Almost the whole family – including those other five to precede him into the NFL – gathered at Geathers’ grandmother’s house in Georgetown to be together for the special moment.

A 6-foot-2, 218-pound strong safety, Geathers started 52 games for Central Florida while finishing as the program’s third-leading tackler all time with 383 total stops along with three interceptions, 30 pass break-ups, five forced fumbles and 19 tackles for loss.

Earlier this week, his agent, Joe Flanagan, suggested Geathers would likely be taken between the fourth and seventh rounds, which encompass the final day of the draft, while noting how hard it is to forecast such things.

As it turned out, he didn’t have to wait too long while being chosen with the 10th pick of the day.

“It’s about as early as we could have hoped for,” Flanagan said. “It was all over the board. There were a couple teams that had him up there as a third- or fourth-rounder and a couple teams that had him as an undrafted free agent, so you just never know.”

The Colts had been one of Geathers’ more interested suitors throughout the predraft process and called him prior to announcing the selection.

“We talked at the combine, I sat down and talked with them, they came to my pro day and we talked there [and] I had a few phone conversations with them after pro day as well,” Geathers said. “With the draft, you never know which way you can go, when you’ll go. I’m just so happy I got the phone call from the coach. He said, ‘You ready to play, you healthy?’ He said, ‘Because we’re going to need you. We’re going to take you with this next pick.’ I said, ‘Yes sir, I’m ready to go.’”

As for the impressive Geathers’ line of NFL talent, it started when Robert Geathers Sr., Clayton’s uncle, was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1981. He was later followed into the NFL by three sons. Robert Jr. played for the Cincinnati Bengals the last 11 years and is undecided on his football future at this time; Clifton was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2010 before bouncing around to seven other teams and totaling 24 games played to this point. He is on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster; and Kwame signed with the San Diego Chargers in 2013 as an undrafted free agent and played seven games for them. He is presently signed to the Cincinnati Bengals’ roster.

And Jumpy Geathers, another uncle of Clayton’s, played 13 seasons in the NFL from 1984-96 for four teams while totaling 62 career sacks and two Super Bowl rings (with the Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos).

All are from Georgetown with Jumpy and Robert Sr. attending Choppee High School, which later merged into Carvers Bay High School where the next generation of the family starred on the field.

Clayton Geathers also has another cousin, Andrews High School product Jeremy Geathers, who had a tryout with the New Orleans Saints and now plays in the Arena Football League.

“It’s a blessing to have that NFL pedigree,” Clayton said. “They went through the process. Just to get advice from them and just to get guidance, it’s a blessing. And just to have them around. You don’t know it all. You can learn something new every day.”

The elder Robert Geathers said he saw relief on his nephew’s face Saturday as his wait ended and he became the next addition to the family’s NFL presence.

After Clayton’s selection Saturday, Robert Sr. dug out some Colts apparel he had stashed from when his son Clifton played for the team briefly.

For himself, the one who started it all, he spoke of the pride he feels in seeing what his family has made itself and how the tradition continues.

“I was the first that got in and was blessed for it to happen from a small town like Georgetown,” Robert Sr. said. “The important thing is my mom is still here to see this. Me and Jumpy were sitting here talking, look at himself – 14 years and two Super Bowl wins, out of Georgetown, Choppee, the woods. Makes me feel like the ‘G’ stands for God because we weren’t supposed to make it.”

The house the family gathered at Saturday was the same one Robert Sr. and his brothers had grown up in decades ago. He likened their modest living situation back then to Jed Clampet’s original home from “The Beverly Hillbillies” television series.

“There’s just so many things, we just weren’t supposed to make it,” he reiterated. “I feel real pleasure to be able to be part of this family and watch little Clayton.”

Flanagan said he didn’t expect any issues getting a contract done with the Colts and it would just be a matter of when they are ready to sit down and work on the details. In the meantime, Geathers will sign a minicamp workout agreement to allow him to join the team for its upcoming camp.

Most importantly of all, perhaps, both Geathers and Flanagan feel Indianapolis is a good fit for the strong safety.

“It’s great. [Colts coach Chuck] Pagano has always used a physical safety,” Flanagan said. “He runs them up to the line of scrimmage sometimes, and they value big and strong guys on special teams. I think it’s a great fit where I think he can make an [immediate] impact.”

Said Geathers: “They’re a good fit. Some things I did in college I can do there as well, and I like the organization and the coaching staff. It’s a good fit.”

This story was originally published May 2, 2015 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Former Carvers Bay HS star Geathers taken by Colts in fourth round of NFL Draft."