Illinois cornerback Alan Ball was on the phone with his agent discussing free agency options midway through the seventh round of the NFL draft when he got a call on the other line.

“As we’re talking about it, my phone clicked, and it was the Cowboys,” Ball said Sunday afternoon. “I’d never even heard from the Cowboys. It was definitely a surprise.”

Dallas’ legendary pro football team took Ball in the seventh round of the 2007 draft, selecting him No. 237 overall. Ball was the only Illini player drafted this year; the last Illini picked in the draft were cornerback Kelvin Hayden and offensive lineman Duke Preston in 2005.

Illinois running back Pierre Thomas was picked up as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints, where former teammate Steve Weatherford is the starting punter.

The Cowboys picked fellow Big Ten player Anthony Spencer, a defensive end from Purdue, with their first-round pick. Northern Illinois offensive tackle Doug Free went to the Cowboys in the fourth round.

Dallas selected two corners in the seventh round, also picking up Courtney Brown from Cal Poly.

Ball said many players would rather be free agents than late-seventh round picks, because as a free agent they have some say in what franchise they join. He said Chicago and Green Bay had both expressed interest in signing him after the draft. But Ball said he likes the way Dallas uses its corners and thinks he’ll fit well into the Cowboys’ scheme.

“They have aggressive corners,” Ball said. “I know I could be a good fit for them.”

Ball, who said he spent most of Sunday “sleeping with one eye open watching the TV,” was a four-year starter for the Illini. In 2006 he ranked third in the Big Ten in passes defended in conference games, and in 2005 and 2006 coaches named him the team’s Outstanding Defensive Back.

Ball earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2006. He finished his career at Illinois with 22 PBUs, eighth on Illinois’ all-time list.

Before leaving for Dallas, Ball said he plans to meet with Illinois coach Ron Zook to discuss areas the college coach thinks he should work on improving.

“I definitely need to go back, talk to Coach Zook, get feedback from him on what areas I need to work on,” Ball said.

Illinois won only eight games during the last four seasons, but Ball refused to speculate on whether that hurt him in the selection process. He acknowledged that winning teams get more attention, but he said the draft ended the way he hoped it would.

“I had the opportunity to go make a squad, and that’s what I wanted,” Ball said.