Award winners get NFL shot D3football.com Defensive Player of the Year Jerrell Freeman signed a free-agent contract with the Tennessee Titans, while Offensive Player of the Year Justin Beaver was invited to the Green Bay Packers' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. The Mary Hardin-Baylor linebacker and UW-Whitewater running back are not the only undrafted Division III players who will get a shot with an NFL team in the upcoming weeks, as names keep filtering in on the day after two Division III players were drafted. "They called me at the end of the draft and said they had been looking at me and wanted to know if I want to sign a deal with them," Freeman said. "It's been wild, but I am excited about having this opportunity." Wesley defensive end Bryan Robinson signed a free agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals. "It's going to be like starting all over again, like freshman year in college," Robinson said. "I'm going to have to prove myself, but this time it's against bigger and better competition." Bridgewater wide receiver Brandon Copeland signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns and leaves for their rookie minicamp on Thursday. Mississippi College wide receiver Jake Allen signed a free agent contract with the Packers. Ohio Northern's Lenny Trusnik joined his brother Jason in the NFL, signing a contract with the Browns. St. Olaf receiver Horace Gant signed a contract with the Washington Redskins. While Beaver was invited to the Packers' minicamp, the team revoked its original tryout offer to A.J. Raebel. Raebel was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings. Oberlin wide receiver Chris Schubert was invited to the Browns' minicamp. Carroll wide receiver Tyler Vogds was invited to the Vikings minicamp as a long snapper. Christopher Newport defensive back Rob Rodriguez, who was a senior and D3football.com All-American in 2006, was invited to the Chiefs' minicamp. And two players who started in Division III but ended in Division I got calls as well. Steven Hauschka, an All-Region kicker at Middlebury, played one season at N.C. State as a grad student and was signed by the Vikings, while UW-River Falls running back Owen Schmitt, who played three years at West Virginia, was drafted in the fifth round by the Seahawks. | ||
| Permalink | Apr 27, 2008 | ||
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