Cy-Fair HS Alumnus Selected by Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023 NFL DraftÂ
Former Cy-Fair High School football standout Erick Hallett II was selected by the Jackson Jaguars in the 2023 National Football League Draft.
Hallett, an All-American defensive back at the University of Pittsburgh, was selected in the sixth round (208th overall) on April 29. He was among six players from the football program taken during the three-day event, tying Pittsburgh for the fifth-most selections in the nation.
Hallett helped lead Cy-Fair to the 2017 Class 6A Division II state championship, the first football state title in district history. He earned all-district and all-Greater Houston honors before signing with Pittsburgh in 2018.
Following a redshirt year and two seasons as a reserve, Hallett started his final 31 games at free safety for the Panthers. He earned honorable mention all-Atlantic Coast Conference accolades in 2021.
In 2022, he was selected as a Football Writers Association of America All-American as a second team honoree and semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is awarded annually to the top defensive back in college football. He finished his redshirt senior season with 54 total tackles, three interceptions and three recovered fumbles, helping lead Pittsburgh to a 9-4 record and top-25 ranking in both the final Association Press Poll and USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
Hallett is the third former Cy-Fair High School football product selected in the NFL Draft since 2020, with all three taken in the sixth round of their respective draft.
Braden Mann, a 2016 Cy-Fair graduate and former Texas A&M University All-American punter, was selected by the New York Jets in 2020. Austin Deculus, a 2017 Cy-Fair graduate and former Louisiana State University offensive lineman, was selected by the Houston Texas in 2022.
Following the 2023 draft, two fellow CFISD products signed with NFL teams as undrafted free agents.
Cypress Springs High School graduate Taye Barber signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The wide receiver played in 59 career games for Texas Christian University, finishing with 159 receptions for 2,120 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Taye Barber, a Cypress Springs High School graduate for former Texas Christian University standout wide receiver, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. (Photo courtesy Texas Christian University) 
Cy-Fair High School graduate and former Sam Houston State University standout wide receiver Cody Chrest signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft. (Photo courtesy Sam Houston State University)
Source: Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
