The Tennessee Titans selected offensive tackle Michael (Mihkel) Roos in the second round of last Saturday’s NFL draft. Roos, a 6-foot-7, 320 pound athlete from Eastern Washington becomes the first Estonian-born athlete in the NFL.

Born in Taebla on October 5, 1980, Roos and his mother and siblings moved to the USA in 1992. The Estonian press has taken an interest in Roos’s success story, linking the behemoth with trailbalzers Tom Edur and Martin Müürsepp, the first Estonians to play in the NHL and NBA, respectively.

Called the best offensive lineman in the country below the NCAA Division 1-A ranks by The NFL Draft Report, Roos is a talented blocker, who gets good hand placement to mirror the defender. The report indicates that Roos does have problems maintaining his weight and lacks ideal strength, but appears intelligent and ready to learn. Before the start of the 2004 season, Roos graduated with a double degree and is presently working on his bachelor’s degree.

Here’s wishing Mihkel good luck in training camp!

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