Stone signs 4-year deal

ATLANTA – Former University of Maine strong safety Daren Stone signed a four-year contract with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 6-foot-3, 217-pound Stone was the Falcons’ sixth-round draft pick in April’s NFL draft, the 203rd selection overall.

The Lockport, N.Y., product was named third-team All-Atlantic 10 for Maine in 2005 after leading the conference with five interceptions while playing cornerback. In his senior season with the Black Bears last fall, Stone was named second-team All-Atlantic 10 after amassing 50 tackles, four sacks, and five passes defensed in 10 games.

In 41 games during his four years on the Orono campus, Stone recorded 173 tackles (111 solos) with five sacks for minus-47 yards and 16.5 stops for losses totaling 85 yards. He gained 96 yards with a touchdown on 10 interceptions and scored on a 21-yard blocked punt return. He deflected 11 passes and caused one fumble.

At the NFL Scouting Combine before this year’s draft, Stone was timed in 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash and had a 39-inch vertical jump. He also recorded the longest standing broad jump (11 feet) and fifth-fastest 60-yard shuttle run (11.54 seconds) among all defensive backs.

He later became well known to casual football fans on draft day when ESPN broadcast video available on YouTube of Stone jumping over cars.

Stone is the third draft pick to sign with the Falcons so far this year, along with seventh-round selection Jason Snelling, a running back, and fourth-round draft pick Stephen Nicholas, a linebacker.