From UCLA:
UCLA All-America cornerback Alterraun Verner is now a member of the Tennessee Titans. He was selected as the sixth pick of the fourth round (No. 104 overall) on Saturday morning. The Titans traded up in the round to make the pick.
“Alterraun is the prototypical student-athlete we look for when we go recruiting at UCLA,” said Bruin head coach Rick Neuheisel. “He did an unbelievable job for us, both on and off the field. He was one of our team leaders and played like the All-American that he was. He excelled in the classroom and always represented our program with dignity and class. I am excited to watch him play for the Titans.”
Verner made 37 career starts for the Bruins, including his final 34 games. He made 13 career interceptions, tied for seventh on UCLA’s all-time list. He returned four of those for touchdowns, a new school record, and also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown, giving him five career scores. He also ranks 19thh on the school’s all-time tackles list with 279.
In 2009, he was named first-team All-America by rivals.com and third-team All-America by Associated Press and Phil Steele and was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection by the league’s coaches. He also earned second-team All-Pac-10 All-Academic honors after earning first-team acclaim as a sophomore and a junior.
Verner was named the winner of UCLA’s Donn Moomaw Award for Outstanding Defensive Player vs. USC and the defensive winner of the Paul I. Wellman Memorial Award for All-Around Excellence. His five interceptions this past season ranked tied for 32nd in the NCAA and tied for second in the Pac-10 and he ranked fifth among the Bruins with 72 tackles.
In 2008, he led the nation in passes defensed in 2008 while earning Academic All-Pac-10 acclaim.
The last Bruin defensive back to be drafted higher than Verner is Matt Ware, who was selected in the third round (No. 89 overall) of the 2004 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.