May 1, 2007

BERKELEY - As of Tuesday morning, six members of the 2006 California football team have signed free agent contracts with NFL teams following the draft. Tim Mixon (Seattle), Marcus O'Keith (Kansas City), Mickey Pimentel (Carolina), Erik Robertson (San Diego), Byron Storer (Tampa Bay) and Nu'u Tafisi (Seattle) were all signed in the days following the draft. Other players could still be added to teams.

Those six players join the four Golden Bear draftees - Desmond Bishop, Daymeion Hughes, Marshawn Lynch and Brandon Mebane - in the professional ranks.

Mixon was an all-conference cornerback and punt returner in 2005, but injured his knee in the 2006 preseason and missed the entire season; O'Keith established himself as one of the top reserve running backs in the nation and is also an exceptional return man; Pimentel was an outstanding play-making linebacker who earned all-conference honors last year; Robertson was an all-league selection as a mainstay on the Bear offensive line; Storer was a two-time all-conference special teams honoree and the Bears' starting fullback in 2006; and Tafisi was a relentless defensive end who collected all-league recognition last year.