Missouri State's David Arkin and Southern Illinois' Korey Lindsey have been drafted by NFL teams in the 2011 NFL Draft.  Arkin was taken by the Cowboys, while Lindsey is headed to the Bengals.

DAVID ARKIN

NEW  YORK -- Missouri State University offensive lineman David Arkin (Wichita, Kan.) was selected Saturday as the 110th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft when the Dallas Cowboys called his name as the 13th selection of the fourth round.  Arkin became the 17th Bear ever drafted by a National Football League team and second in as many years. Clay Harbor (TE, Dwight, Ill.) was a fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010. Arkin is the second-highest MSU pick ever with Tom Mullen going as the 28th overall pick to the Giants in 1974.

"I just got off the phone with (Cowboys' owner) Jerry Jones," said Arkin who was at the Battlefield Mall in Springfield when the call came in. "It's just crazy. It is a great feeling, and I am very excited about this opportunity."

The 6-5, 302-pound senior from Wichita, Kan., has spent the offseason collecting awards. He was named to The Sports Network, Associated Press, Walter Camp Football Foundation, American Football Coaches Association and Sports Network Division I FCS All-America squads for his outstanding senior performance. He is just the third MSU player to run the gauntlet and claim first-team All-America honors from all major selection agencies, joining Bill Walter (DT, 1991) and Wayne Boyer (K, 1996).

During the 2010 season, Arkin earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference laurels for the second straight year after grading out at 87 percent for the year with 82 knock-down blocks. He started all 44 games of his college career and is just the third MSU player to earn All-MVFC honors four times, also claiming second-team all-conference honors in 2007 and 2008. He also was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-America second team and claimed his fourth Academic All-MVFC honor this season.

Arkin was a six-time MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week and earned the MVC State Farm Good Neighbor Award during the fall semester of 2008. He helped the Bears average 425.5 yards total offense, 214.2 rushing yards and 30.4 points per game this season, all of which ranked in the top 24 nationally at the FCS level. He graduated in December with a 3.72 GPA in construction management.

Earlier this year, he participated in the East-West Shrine Game, the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game and the NFL Combine in preparation for the draft and realizing his NFL dreams.   He was the second player picked in this year's NFL Draft who did not play for an FBS program. Lehigh offensive lineman William Rackley was the 12th pick of the third round (76th overall).

KOREY LINDSEY

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University cornerback Korey Lindsey was selected Saturday by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 207th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2011 National Football League Draft.  Lindsey, 6-0 and 190 pounds, becomes the 25th Saluki selected in NFL Draft and just the second defensive back. Terry Taylor was selected No. 22 overall in the first round by Seattle in the 1984 Draft. Lindsey was taken on the fourth pick of round No. 7 and he is the first Saluki drafted by Cincinnati.

His seventh-round selection makes him Southern's third draft pick since 2005. Running back Brandon Jacobs was taken with pick No. 110 by the New York Giants in 2005 and running back Deji Karim went in the sixth round with pick No. 180 to Jacksonville last year.

Lindsey leaves Southern Illinois as one of its most decorated players and he started in 36-straight games to close out his career.

He is one of just two players in school history to receive All-America accolades in three separate seasons, one of three Salukis to ever be named a first team All-American in back-to-back seasons and one of five Salukis to garner First Team All-MVFC honors three times in a career.

In 2010, Lindsey received the FCS Elite Defensive Back award from the College Football Performance Awards. He was a Buck Buchanan Award finalist and named to the 2010 Associate Press All-America first team.

Lindsey ranks third in school history with 14 career interceptions and he finished his career with 162 tackles, six tackles, a half sack and 16 pass breakups, which ranks No. 9 in program history.

He came to SIU in 2007 out of Scotlandville Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, La. He played in all 14 games as a true freshman, registering 19 tackles and one interception.

In both 2008 and 2009, Lindsey intercepted six passes to become the second Saluki (along with Taylor) to pick off five or more passes in consecutive seasons. He ranked No. 8 nationally in 2009 and No. 6 in 2008 for the most interceptions.