NEW YORK -- It seems too obvious and cliché to call the first day of the NFL draft a roller coaster ride for Penn State, but it's still the best way to put it.

Everything seemed to be going according to plan at first, and the Minnesota Vikings seemed set to take defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy with the No. 7 pick. However, the Vikings passed on their pick and the next five picks came in lightning-round style while Kennedy sat waiting by himself in the green room. At that point, that feeling you get in your stomach when the roller coaster drops probably started to take over not only Kennedy's gut, but that of every Penn State fan watching on television.

But just after the roller coaster car reached the bottom and the slide ended for Kennedy, the St. Louis Rams took him at No. 12. It was all uphill from there for the Nittany Lion draftees. Four Lions were selected in the first round, breaking the previous Penn State record of three set in 1995. Only the University of Miami had as many players taken in the first round, and only twice in the history of the draft has one college had more players taken in the first round.

Just two picks after Kennedy was picked, defensive end Michael Haynes was selected as the No. 14 pick for the Chicago Bears. Wide receiver Bryant Johnson was next, surprising some experts by being taken at No. 17 by the Arizona Cardinals. Tailback Larry Johnson became the last of the Lions' first-rounders when the Kansas City Chiefs took him 27th overall.

Cornerback Bryan Scott and defensive tackle Anthony Adams both went in the second round. Scott was taken by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 55 overall pick, and Adams went two picks later to the San Francisco 49ers.

"I think it's just a testament to Joe Paterno," Bryant Johnson said. "He and the rest of the coaching staff have done a great job of developing us and giving us the opportunity to become NFL players."

Johnson may have been the biggest surprise of the day for Penn State fans and experts. Most pre-draft publications had Johnson going later in the first round. However, neither Johnson nor his agent was surprised because they had been told he would be the third receiver drafted.

When the Cardinals traded their No. 6 pick to the New Orleans Saints for the 17th and 18th selections, Johnson started to expect a phone call from the Cardinals.

Nevertheless, he couldn't prepare himself for the feeling of knowing he would be playing professional football in 2003.

"I was just overwhelmed," Johnson said. "It was the same way for my family. They were pretty excited. It was hard for me to even be as excited as them. I had about 30 people over and all of them were yelling and screaming."

Haynes was surprised at his early selection. The Bears had traded down to No. 14 from No. 4 to get him, but had no significant contact with Haynes beyond the NFL combine and pro day. He was expecting to be chosen by the Chiefs, Bills, Giants or Eagles. He thought the Eagles would take him when he found out they traded up to get the No. 15 pick. The Bears didn't give them that chance.

"It was definitely a pleasant surprise," he said. "As I look at their personnel I'm even happier about it. I think this should be a really good fit for me."

Johnson's selection stopped Kennedy in mid-sentence at a press conference about his selection at Madison Square Garden. With his stomach now down from his throat, into its rightful place, he was thrilled to see his former teammates join him as first-rounders.

"I'm just ecstatic for those guys," he said. "They really worked hard and I'm glad to see them get a chance to play on Sunday."

The Lions were not as fortunate on the second day of the draft. Offensive tackle Gus Felder, safety Shawn Mayer and center Joe Iorio were all expecting to be taken in the late rounds, but none were drafted. Mayer signed with the New England Patriots, Iorio signed with the Indianapolis Colts and guard Tyler Lenda signed with the Denver Broncos. Felder's status was unknown at press time and tackle Eric Rickenbach had received calls from teams but had not yet signed.