SPOKANE, Wash. -- Michael Allan became the first Whitworth football player drafted by the National Football League in 35 years when the Kansas City Chiefs selected Allan in the seventh round on Sunday afternoon.

Allan is the first Pirate drafted since 1972

Allan is not only the first Pirate drafted by the NFL since 1972, he is the first NCAA Division III player from any school selected in the draft since 2003.

"Getting drafted by Kansas City today is like nothing I've ever felt before and I couldn't be happier," said Allan.

At 6'-6" and 255 pounds, Michael Allan (Bellevue, Wash. – Interlake HS) developed into a bona fide NFL prospect at tight end. He was invited to play in the 2007 East-West Shrine Classic and participate in the 2007 NFL Combine following the 2006 season. He closed his career with school records for individual season touchdown receptions (15 in 2005), career touchdown receptions (29), and career yards per catch (18.7).

Allan joins a Chiefs team that already includes All-Pro Tony Gonzales among four tight ends on the roster. But Allan still feels like Kansas City could be a great fit for him.

"The nice thing about the Chiefs organization is they usually draft and develop, rather than draft and cut," he said. "There isn't the same sense of pressure. I'll have a chance to go in and work hard, learn the game and their system, and hopefully be ready to play more in a year."

Allan will report to Kansas City's first new player combine in two weeks (May 10-13).

Allan's career at Whitworth was nothing short of record setting:

2006: Allan caught a team-leading 53 passes for 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns in 2006 as a Whitworth team captain. He led tyhe Northwest Conference in touchdown receptions and yards per catch (20.8), earning First Team All-Northwest Conference (NWC) honors for the third straight year. Allan was named to the AP Little All-America First Team, the AFCA Division III All-America team for the second year in a row, and the D3football.com All-America First Team. He was the NWC Offensive Player of the Week for November 11th after he caught six passes for 251 yards and touchdowns of 74 and 66 yards in a 44-27 win over Puget Sound. The receiving yardage set a new school record. Allan helped lead Whitworth to its first-ever 10+ win season (11-1), first outright Northwest Conference title and first post season victory in school history (27-23 over Occidental on Nov. 18th) this year. He was named a preseason All-American by Lindy’s Magazine (1st Team), Don Hanson’s Football Gazette (1st Team) and D3football.com (2nd Team).

2005: Allan was named to the AFCA Division III All-America team after catching 36 passes for 693 yards (19.2 yards per catch, which led the NWC). He played in only eight games after Whitworth’s game with Lewis & Clark was cancelled by the Pioneers for lack of healthy players. He was also a D3football.com Second Team selection, All-West Region honoree and First Team All-Northwest Conference choice. He set a new school record with 15 touchdown receptions, breaking the old record set in 1975 by Doug Long, who went on to play two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He was named NWC Offensive Player of the Week for September 17th when he caught five passes for 94 yards and three touchdowns in a 43-28 win over La Verne. He had TD receptions of 19, 31 and 28 yards, two of which came on fourth down.

2004: Allan caught 29 passes for 409 yards (14.1 yards per catch) with 5 touchdowns in nine games as the Pirates finished 7-2. He was third on the team in receptions and receiving yardage. He was named First Team All-Northwest Conference.

2003: Appeared in eight games (out of 10) on special teams. Did not catch a pass.

2002: Redshirted his first season at Whitworth.

HS: Played at Interlake High School in Bellevue, Washington. As a senior wide receiver, he led his team in receptions. But the team was 0-9 and ran a wing-T formation. They did not through often. Not highly recruited for football.

"Mike is an example of the kind of high level student-athlete we can attract at Whitworth College," said Pirate head coach John Tully. "It goes to show that if you are talented enough, and work hard, you will have opportunities for post season honors and the chance to play at the next level, no matter where you choose to go to college."

Whitworth NFL History: Allan is the seventh Pirate ever selected in the NFL draft and the first since Eric Kelly was chosen in 1972 as a 14th round choice by the Detroit Lions. Allan is tied for the highest pick in school history with Ken Sugarman, who was selected in the 7th round by the Baltimore Colts in 1963.

The former Pirates chosen by the NFL are (in chronological order): DB Warren Lashua (1960) by the Chicago Bears in the 15th round; OT Ken Sugarman (1963) by the Baltimore Colts in the 7th round; WR John Murio (1963) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 15th round; LB Ray Johnson (1964) by the Baltimore Colts in the 19th round; OG Gene Baker (1964) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 20th round; OT Eric Kelly (1972) by the Detroit Lions in the 14th round.

Ironically, the only two Pirates to ever play official games in the NFL were undrafted free agents. Offensive and defensive lineman Paul Ward played two seasons with Detroit in 1961 and 1962. Doug Long, who was an All-American wide receiver for the Pirates, played two seasons with the Seattle as a safety and special teams player in 1977 and 1978.