Hartwell tabbed by Baltimore

Spencer Patterson

Monday, April 23, 2001 | 10:10 a.m.

Sometimes, good things do indeed come to those who wait.

After expecting to go on day one of the NFL draft, Cheyenne High School product Edgerton Hartwell was left to ponder his fate one extra night after Saturday's first three rounds came and went without a team calling his number.

But on Sunday, Hartwell got the ultimate reward for waiting: a chance to play for the Super Bowl champs. The Baltimore Ravens snatched the 6-2, 245-pound inside linebacker from Western Illinois with their fourth-round pick (No. 126 overall).

"You get kind of concerned (after the first day)," Hartwell said. "Some teams tell you they're going to take you and then they take someone else. But it was a great feeling when Baltimore called. I'm excited, and I'm definitely going to do my all to contribute."

Hartwell will join a defensive unit that set an NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game regular season, and one that includes reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis, another middle linebacker.

"I'm definitely going to learn a lot playing with them," Hartwell said. "Not too many people get to play for the best defense in the league. There's no better linebacking corps I could learn from."

Hartwell spoke to several Ravens coaches, including head coach Brian Billick, over the phone on Sunday. He will report to a three-day minicamp Thursday in Baltimore before returning to Western Illinois to finish the school year. He said his St. Louis-based agent, Harold Lewis, will work on negotiating a contract so Hartwell can join the team for summer workouts.

"It was a stressful process, from the end of the season to draft day, and it's like a weight off your shoulders," Hartwell said. "But it's not over. It's just a new beginning."

Hartwell, a 1996 Cheyenne graduate, played three seasons for Western Illinois after transferring from Wisconsin. He set a school record with 512 career tackles, earned Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors for two straight years and received the Buck Buchanan Award as the top player in Division I-AA as a senior.