Written by Wayne Delphos on 26 September 2020
SETTING THE SCENE
• The No. 22 Black Knights are set for their first road test as they visit No. 14 Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. CT. The contest at Nippert Stadium will be televised live on ESPN.
• Mark Jones will handle the play-by-play duties, the color analyst is Dusty Dvoracek and the sideline reporter is Quint Kessenich.
• The game can be heard on the radio, both on the flagship stations WBNR and WLNA, Sirius 134, XM 210 and streamed through the TuneIn app on the Army Black Knights Radio.
RANKED VS. RANKED
• The No. 22 Black Knights will visit No. 14 Cincinnati in search of its first win in a game matching ranked teams since 1958.
• The most recent win against a ranked opponent for the Black Knights came in a 17-14 victory over then-No. 19 Air Force in 1972.
PAST SEVEN APPEARANCES IN RANKED VS. RANKED GAMES
• The Black Knights are 4-3 in those games, with the last win in a ranked vs. ranked contest a 14-7 victory over Rice on Nov. 8, 1958
Nov. 16, 1996 – No. 22 Army 17, No. 19 Syracuse 42
Nov. 8, 1958 – No. 3 Army 14, No. 13 Rice 7
Oct. 11, 1958 – No. 3 Army 14, No. 4 Notre Dame 2
Sept. 27, 1958 – No. 8 Army 45, No. 18 South Carolina 8
Nov. 30, 1957 – No. 10 Army 0, No. 8 Navy 14
Oct. 19, 1957 – No. 19 Army 29, No. 16 Pitt 13
Oct. 12, 1957 – No. 10 Army 21, No. 12 Notre Dame 23
FACING THE BEARCATS
•The Black Knights and the Bearcats have met six times in program history and the record is an even 3-3 in those games.
• The first game was in 1963 at Michie Stadium, a 22-0 victory by the Black Knights. The last meeting between the two clubs was in 2004 at Michie Stadium, where Army won, 48-29. That victory snapped Army’s 19 game losing streak from 2002-04.
• The game is set to be the first in Cincinnati for the Black Knights since a close 33-29 loss in 2003.
• UC leads the series 2-1 in contests played at Nippert Stadium.
GAME NOTES WRITTEN BY & COURTESY OF ARMY SPORTS INFORMATION
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Written by Wayne Delphos on 26 September 2020
CINCINNATI - The No. 14/15 University of Cincinnati football team continues a three-game homestand against 22/RV Army West Point on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Nippert Stadium. The game, which was scheduled on Aug. 26, 2020, will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and air on ESPN with radio coverage on 102.7 WEBN FM.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no fans will be allowed in the stadium on gameday except for immediate family members of players and coaches from Cincinnati and Army West Point. Limited numbers of UC’s spirit groups from band, cheer, dance and the Bearcat mascot will be socially distanced in the stands but not performing on field.
Here’s how to watch, listen and follow Saturday’s game.
14/16 CINCINNATI BEARCATS
Head Coach Luke Fickell
Record at Cincinnati 27-13 (Fourth Year)
Overall Record 33-20 (Fifth Year)
22/RV ARMY WEST POINT BLACK KNIGHTS
Head Coach Jeff Monken
Record at School 42-36 (Seventh Year)
Overall Record 78-52 (11th Year)
GAME INFORMATION
Facility Nippert Stadium
Capacity 40,000
TV ESPN
Radio 102.7 WEBN FM / Sirius 81 / XM 81 / Internet 81
Online TuneIn.com
Series Record Tied 3-3
At Cincinnati UC leads 2-0
Last Meeting Oct. 9, 2004 – Army W, 48-29
TV: ESPN
• Play-by-Play: Mark Jones
• Analyst: Dusty Dvoracek
• Sideline: Quint Kessenich
• Online: WatchESPN.com
• Mobile App: ESPN
RADIO: BEARCATS SPORTS NETWORK
• Play-by-Play: Dan Hoard
• Analyst: Jim Kelly Jr.
• Host/Engineer: Mo Egger
• Local: 102.7 WEBN FM
• Satellite: Sirius 81 / XM 81 / Internet 81
• Online: Tunein.com / iHeartMedia App
• Mobile App: TuneIn (search Cincinnati Bearcats)
THE SERIES
The two teams have met six time previously on the gridiron with the all-time series tied 3-3. The first matchup came in 1963 and the last game came in 2004. UC holds a 2-1 advantage in games played at Nippert. UC will play a return game at Michie Stadium on Oct. 4, 2031.
THE COACHES
Luke Fickell, the 2018 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, starts his fourth season at UC. He has led UC to back-to-back 11-win seasons, the 2019 AAC East Division Championship along with consecutive bowl-game wins in the 2018 Military Bowl and 2019 TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl. A veteran of 20 years in the FBS ranks, Fickell has been a part of two national championship squads, nine conference title-winning teams (seven as a coach, two as a player at Ohio State) with 16 postseason games and 13 NFL Draft selections under his belt.
Jeff Monken is in his seventh season at Army with a 42-36 record, which includes a 37-18 mark dating to the start of 2016. He has a career mark of 78-52 as a head coach, which includes a four-year stint at Georgia Southern from 2010-13. He had previous coaching stops at Georgia Tech, Navy, Concorida, Buffalo, Arizona State and Hawai’i.
STREAKS, STORYLINES, SIDEBARS …
- UC plays its 133rd football season in 2020. The Bearcats program dates to 1885 and is one of the 10 oldest in the NCAA FBS. UC has won a league title five times in the last 13 years and has played 11 bowl games in the past 14 years.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UC lost games at Nebraska and vs. Miami (OH) and Western Michigan. The APSU game was moved from Sept. 3 to Sept. 19 and the Bearcats will play Army West Point on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Nippert Stadium. No fans will be allowed in the stadium, except for immediate family members of players and coaches.
- UC has won five-straight American Athletic Conference FB Team Academic Excellence Awards from 2015-20.
- During the 2019-20 calendar year, UC was the only school in the NCAA FBS to play for a conference title in MBB (winter 2019), lacrosse (spring 2019), baseball (spring 2019), volleyball (fall 2019), football (fall 2019) and WBB (winter 2020).
- Fifteen states and four countries are represented on UC’s 2020 roster, which features nearly 62 percent (77/125) Ohio natives, including 31 from Cincinnati. Eighty-three of UC’s 125 players (66.4 percent) are sophomores or below.
- UC is 23-5 since 2018, ranking among the Top-10 teams in CFB in winning percentage during that span (.821).
- Cincinnati is No. 14 in this week’s Associated Press poll and Army is No. 22, setting up the first Nippert Stadium matchup of AP ranked teams since Nov. 22, 2008 when No. 19 UC knocked off No. 20 Pitt 28-21.
- UC knocked off Austin Peay 55-20 in the opener on Sept. 19. The game was the latest start for a UC season since the Bearcats opened the 1968 campaign with a Sept. 21 road game at Texas Tech.
- Cincinnati’s 55 points was its most since score 52 at Marshall a year ago. It was the most points scored in Nippert Stadium since a 56-6 win over ECU on Nov. 23, 2018.
- Head Coach Luke Fickell picked up UC win No. 27, moving him into a tie for fifth place all-time with Chuck Studley (1961-66) and Joe Meyer (1938-42). Fickell is 27-13 in 40 games as UC’s coach, a .675 winning percentage.
GAME PREVIEW WRITTEN BY Ryan Koslen; COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS
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Written by Chris Coopersmith on 26 September 2020
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West Conference Board of Directors met September 24 and approved plans to resume football competition following the Aug. 10 indefinite postponement of fall sports due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Conference’s amended regular-season schedule will begin on Saturday, Oct. 24, with the intent to play eight games. The MW Football Championship Game is slated for Saturday, Dec. 19. Any return to competition is subject to state, county and local approvals.
The Mountain West has partnered with Quest Diagnostics to implement testing protocols across all member institutions. The agreement with Quest delivers frequent testing with rapid results, providing a major step forward for sport competition to resume. The Mountain West will require all football student-athletes, coaches, trainers and other individuals that are on the field to undergo testing three times per week. Test results must be completed and recorded prior to each game. Student-athletes who test positive for the coronavirus through point of contact (POC) testing would require a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to confirm the result of the POC test.
“The health and well-being of our student-athletes continue to guide all of our decisions,” said Dr. Mary Papazian, San José State University President and Chair of the MW Board of Directors. “The availability of rapid testing addresses one of the main concerns expressed by our Board, the MW Health and Safety Advisory Committee, as well as by student-athletes and coaches. After reviewing the health and safety protocols presented by our Health and Safety Advisory Committee, the Board agreed that football could be conducted with appropriate mitigation. We continue to learn more about the virus each day, and we will continue to monitor the pandemic moving forward. We will be ready change course if necessary should new information come forth or should we feel an appropriate environment cannot be sustained on our campuses.”
The MW is in the process of finalizing thresholds for competition interruption, monitoring test results, and other health and safety protocols that are consistent with NCAA resocialization guidelines.
“This is a great opportunity to get our student-athletes back on the field of competition in a cautious and regulated fashion,” commented MW Commissioner Craig Thompson. “We appreciate the efforts our Board, Directors of Athletics, Health and Safety Advisory Committee and Conference staff have put into developing the necessary parameters for our students-athletes to return to competition. The rapid testing element was critical for us to provide an effective solution for our athletes, coaches, officials and event staff.”
Stadium capacities will be determined by each member institution in accordance with state, county and local health ordinances in consultation with government officials. A complete 2020 Mountain West football schedule will be forthcoming.
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY & COURTESY OF THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
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Written by Joe Big Head Coopersmith on 26 September 2020
OFFENSE IS KING: Through the first two weeks of the 2020 NFL season, there have been 186 total touchdowns and 1,611 total points scored, both the most in NFL history through Week 2.
MOST TOUCHDOWNS IN FIRST
TWO WEEKS, NFL HISTORY |
|
MOST TOTAL POINTS IN FIRST TWO WEEKS, NFL HISTORY |
| SEASON |
TOUCHDOWNS |
|
SEASON |
TOTAL POINTS |
| 2020 |
186 |
|
2020 |
1,611 |
| 2018 |
174 |
|
2012 |
1,556 |
| 2011 |
172 |
|
2018 |
1,506 |
| 2015 |
170 |
|
2011 |
1,502 |
| 2012 |
170 |
|
2015 |
1,488 |
Quarterback play has also been at an unprecedented level, as 13 quarterbacks have a passer rating of 100 or higher (minimum 20 attempts) through two weeks, the most in NFL history through Week 2. Five of those quarterbacks are under the age of 26 – Buffalo’s JOSH ALLEN (122.9 rating), the Los Angeles Rams’ JARED GOFF (108.5), Baltimore’s LAMAR JACKSON (134.6), Kansas City’s PATRICK MAHOMES (104.0) and Jacksonville’s GARDNER MINSHEW (115.7). Overall, the league has a 96.2 passer rating, the highest in league annals through Week 2.
Last season, 11 quarterbacks had a passer rating of 100 or higher through the first three weeks, the most in league annals. This season has a chance to surpass that mark.
The seasons with the most quarterbacks with a passer rating of 100 or higher through the first three weeks in NFL history:
| SEASON |
QUARTERBACKS |
| 2019 |
11 |
| 2018 |
10 |
| 2015 |
10 |
| 2007 |
10 |
| |
|
| 2020 |
13* |
| *Through two weeks |
|
| |
|
|
– NFL –
MVP MATCHUP: Baltimore quarterback LAMAR JACKSON, the 2019 NFL MVP, and Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES, the 2018 NFL MVP, will meet for the third time in their careers when the Ravens host the Chiefs on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN) in a battle of unbeatens. It will mark the first game in NFL history featuring two former league MVPs under the age of 26.
Monday’s showdown will be the fifth game in the last six years featuring the two most recent MVPs. The more recent winner has been victorious in the past two such meetings.
The past five meetings featuring the two most recent NFL MVPs:
| MVPs (SEASON) |
DATE |
RESULT |
| Lamar Jackson (2019) vs. Patrick Mahomes (2018) |
Sept. 28, 2020 |
??? |
| Patrick Mahomes (2018) vs. Tom Brady (2017) |
Dec. 8, 2019 |
KC 23, NE 16 |
| Matt Ryan (2016) vs. Cam Newton (2015) |
Dec. 31, 2017 |
ATL 22, CAR 10 |
| Matt Ryan (2016) vs. Cam Newton (2015) |
Nov. 5, 2017 |
CAR 20, ATL 17 |
| Aaron Rodgers (2014) vs. Peyton Manning (2013) |
Nov. 1, 2015 |
DEN 29, GB 10 |
– NFL –
WILSON WOWS: Seattle quarterback RUSSELL WILSON enters Week 3 as the league’s leader in touchdown passes (nine) and passer rating (140.0). He is the fourth quarterback with at least nine touchdown passes through the first two weeks of a season in league annals, joining DREW BREES (2009), PATRICK MAHOMES (2018) and PEYTON MANNING (2013). Both Mahomes and Manning would go on to win league MVP that season.
If Wilson, who had five touchdown passes in Week 2 and four touchdown passes in Week 1, has at least four touchdown passes on Sunday against Dallas (4:25 PM ET, FOX), he would become the first player with at least four touchdown passes in each of his team’s three games of a season in NFL history.
Additionally, Wilson would tie PATRICK MAHOMES (13 in 2018) for the most touchdown passes by a player through his team’s first three games of a season in league history.
The quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes through their team’s first three games of a season in NFL history:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN TEAM’S FIRST THREE GAMES |
| Patrick Mahomes |
Kansas City |
2018 |
13 |
| Peyton Manning |
Denver |
2013 |
12 |
| Tom Brady |
New England |
2011 |
11 |
| |
|
|
|
| Russell Wilson |
Seattle |
2020 |
9* |
| *Through first two games |
– NFL –
DAK DASHES FOR SIX: Dallas quarterback DAK PRESCOTT passed for 450 yards with one touchdown and rushed for three touchdowns last week, becoming the first player with at least 400 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a single game in NFL history.
Prescott now has 24 career rushing touchdowns, the most among quarterbacks since he entered the league in 2016. With a rushing touchdown on Sunday at Seattle (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Prescott will become the fourth quarterback to rush for at least 25 touchdowns in his first five seasons in NFL history.
The quarterbacks with at least 25 rushing touchdowns in their first five seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS |
| Cam Newton |
Carolina |
43 |
| Otto GrahamHOF |
Cleveland |
27 |
| Daunte Culpepper |
Minnesota |
26 |
| |
|
|
| Dak Prescott |
Dallas |
24* |
| *In fifth season |
|
|
– NFL –
CARSON TD CATCHER: Seattle running back CHRIS CARSON had 108 scrimmage yards (72 rushing, 26 receiving) and a touchdown catch last week after recording two touchdown receptions in Week 1. Entering Week 3, Carson leads all NFL running backs with three touchdown receptions this season.
With a touchdown reception on Sunday against Dallas (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Carson would become the fourth running back with a touchdown reception in each of their team’s first three games of a season in the Super Bowl era, joining GARY ANDERSON (1986), CURTIS MCCLINTON (1966) and BRIAN WESTBROOK (2005). McClinton had a touchdown reception in each of his team’s first four games of that season.
The running backs with touchdown reception in each of their team’s first three games of a season in the Super Bowl era:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
| Brian Westbrook |
Philadelphia |
2005 |
| Gary Anderson |
San Diego |
1986 |
| Curtis McClinton |
Kansas City |
1966 |
| |
|
|
| Chris Carson |
Seattle |
2020* |
| *Through first two games |
– NFL –
TOP BILLING: Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN passed for a career-high 417 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 147.0 passer rating in the Bills’ Week 2 victory. Allen, who has passed for 729 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions through the first two weeks, is the fourth quarterback with at least 700 passing yards, six touchdown passes and zero interceptions through his team’s first two games of a season in NFL history.
With at least 300 passing yards, two touchdown passes and zero interceptions on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Allen will become the third player with at least 300 passing yards, two touchdown passes and zero interceptions in each of his team’s first three games of a season in NFL history, joining PATRICK MAHOMES (2019) and PEYTON MANNING (2013). Mahomes won Super Bowl MVP and Manning won league MVP in those respective seasons.
The players with at least 300 passing yards, two touchdown passes and zero interceptions in each of their team’s first three games of a season in NFL history:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
| Patrick Mahomes |
Kansas City |
2019 |
| Peyton Manning |
Denver |
2013 |
| |
|
|
| Josh Allen |
Buffalo |
2020* |
| *Through first two games |
– NFL –
TANNEHILL CONTINUES TO THRILL: Tennessee quarterback RYAN TANNEHILL passed for four touchdowns and zero interceptions last week in the Titans’ victory and now has six touchdowns and zero interceptions on the season.
Since Week 10 of the 2019 season, Tannehill has passed for at least two touchdowns with one or fewer interceptions in all nine games.
With at least two touchdown passes and one or fewer interceptions on Sunday at Minnesota (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Tannehill will become the fourth player in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes and one or fewer interceptions in at least 10 consecutive regular season games, joining AARON RODGERS (13 consecutive games), TOM BRADY (11) and PHILIP RIVERS (10).
The players with the most consecutive games with at least two touchdown passes and one or fewer interceptions in NFL history:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON(S) |
CONSECUTIVE GAMES |
| Aaron Rodgers |
Green Bay |
2011 |
13 |
| Tom Brady |
New England |
2010-11 |
11 |
| Philip Rivers |
L.A. Chargers |
2017-18 |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
| Ryan Tannehill |
Tennessee |
2019-present |
9* |
| *Active streak |
|
– NFL –
RIDLEY ME THIS: Atlanta wide receiver CALVIN RIDLEY leads the NFL with four touchdown receptions through two weeks and ties for the league lead with 239 receiving yards.
After recording 130 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in Week 1 and 109 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in Week 2, Ridley became the first player since Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON (1999) to record at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in each of his team’s first two games of a season.
With at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception on Sunday against Chicago (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Ridley will become the fifth player with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in each of his team’s first three games of a season in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers MARVIN HARRISON (1999), RANDY MOSS (2007) and JERRY RICE (1989) and DWIGHT CLARK (1982),
The players with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in each of their team’s first three games of a season in NFL history:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
| Randy MossHOF |
New England |
2007 |
| Marvin HarrisonHOF |
Indianapolis |
1999 |
| Jerry RiceHOF |
San Francisco |
1989 |
| Dwight Clark |
San Francisco |
1982 |
| |
|
|
| Calvin Ridley |
Atlanta |
2020* |
| *Through first two games |
– NFL –
NOT DRAFTED? NOT A PROBLEM: Jacksonville running back JAMES ROBINSON, who went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, leads all rookies with 210 scrimmage yards through the first two weeks of the season.
With at least 90 scrimmage yards on Thursday Night Football against Miami (8:20 PM ET, NFL Network), a mark he has hit in each of the first two games of the season, Robinson will become the second undrafted player with at least 300 scrimmage yards through his first three career games in the common draft era, joining JAMES BRIM (318 scrimmage yards in 1987).
The undrafted players with the most scrimmage yards through their first three career games in the common draft era:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
SCRIMMAGE YARDS |
| James Brim |
Minnesota |
1987 |
318 |
| Kevin Willhite |
Green Bay |
1987 |
288 |
| Bobby Johnson |
N.Y. Giants |
1984 |
281 |
| |
|
|
|
| James Robinson |
Jacksonville |
2020 |
210* |
| *Through first two weeks |
|
– NFL –
WATT FAMIILY REUINION: Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. WATT ties for the NFL lead with 2.5 sacks through the first two weeks of the season, while Houston defensive end J.J. WATT ties for third in the league with 2 sacks.
The two brothers will be meeting for the first time in their NFL careers when the Steelers host the Texans on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX). Pittsburgh fullback DEREK WATT, who faced each of his brothers in 2019 with the Chargers, will also be on the field on Sunday.
J.J. enters the game with 98 career sacks in 10 seasons, while T.J. has 37 career sacks in four seasons. Their 135 combined sacks are the fourth-most among pairs of brothers or father-son duos since 1982, counting instances in which each player recorded at least one sack.
The pairs of brothers or father-son duos with the most combined sacks since 1982, counting players in which each player recorded at least one sack:
| PLAYERS |
COMBINED SACKS |
| Clay/Clay Matthews |
161 |
| HowieHOF/Chris Long |
154 |
| JohnHOF/Ervin Randle+ |
145.5 |
| J.J./T.J. Watt*+ |
135* |
| Arthur/Chandler Jones+ |
107 |
| *Both active |
| +Brothers |
With at least two sacks on Sunday, J.J., playing in his 115th career game, will become the fourth-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
The fastest players to reach 100 career sacks since 1982:
| PLAYER |
TEAM |
GAMES |
| Reggie WhiteHOF |
Philadelphia |
96 |
| DeMarcus Ware |
Dallas |
113 |
| Bruce SmithHOF |
Buffalo |
114 |
| Jared Allen |
Kansas City, Minnesota |
122 |
| Lawrence TaylorHOF |
N.Y. Giants |
122 |
| |
|
|
| J.J. Watt |
Houston |
114* |
| *Has 98 sacks in 114 games |
– NFL –
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY NFL COMMUNICATIONS; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
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Written by Chris Coopersmith on 26 September 2020
CLEVELAND, Ohio — With the NFL 2020 regular season underway, the Mid-American Conference is well represented across NFL rosters. Currently there are 69 former MAC student-athletes on NFL active rosters to begin the 2020 season and many are making a significant impact at the professional level.
Last year the MAC had four former student-athlets named to the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl — Chicago LB Khalil Mack (Buffalo), Tennessee P Brett Kern (Toledo), Detroit WR Kenny Golladay (NIU) and Philadelphia OG Brandon Brooks (Miami).
Former Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman was named Super Bowl MVP as part of the New England Patriots 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Edelman finished with a game high 10 receptions for 141 yards. Edelman, a nine-year NFL veteran with the Patriots, won his third Super Bowl with New England and became the first former MAC student athlete to be named NFL Super Bowl MVP. He also became only the seventh wide receiver in NFL history to be named Super Bowl MVP. The victory came over the Los Angeles Rams, who are led by head coach Sean McVay, who played wide receiver for the Miami RedHawks from 2004-07, earning the team’s Scholar Athlete Award in 2007.
This past April, the MAC had two draft selections in the 2020 NFL Draft. In three of the last eight NFL Drafts, the MAC has been represented with a top five overall selection. In 2017, Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis was selected as the fifth overall selection in the first round by the Tennessee Titans. In 2014, Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack was the fifth overall selection by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL Draft and in 2013, Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher became the first MAC football player to be selected as the overall No. 1 selection in the NFL Draft.
Former MAC Student-Athletes on Active NFL Rosters: (69 as of Sept. 9, 2020)
Arizona Cardinals
# Jonathan Ward, RB, Central Michigan (R)
Atlanta Falcons
Christian Blake, WR, Northern Illinois (2)
Steven Means, DE, Buffalo (8)
Baltimore Ravens
Willie Snead IV, WR, Ball State (6)
Buffalo Bills
Reggie Gilliam, TE, Toledo (R)
Brian Winters, OG, Kent State (8)
# Nate Becker, TE, Miami (1)
# Cam Lewis, CB, Buffalo (1)
Carolina Panthers
Taylor Moton, OT, Western Michigan (4)
# Giovanni Ricci, TE, Western Michigan (R)
Chicago Bears
Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo (7)
# Xavier Crawford, DB, Central Michigan (2)
Cincinnati Bengals
Darius Phillips, CB, Western Michigan (3)
# Mason Schreck, TE, Buffalo (3)
Cleveland Browns
Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo (4)
JoJo Natson, WR, Akron (4)
Dallas Cowboys
# Jon’Vea Johnson, WR, Toledo (2)
Denver Broncos
# LeVante Bellamy, RB, Western Michigan (R)
Detroit Lions
Kenny Golladay, WR, Northern Illinois (4)
Matt Prater, K, Central Florida (14)
Green Bay Packers
Ka’dar Hollman, CB, Toledo (2)
Houston Texans
Max Scharping, OT, Northern Illinois (2)
# Greg Mancz, OG, Toledo (6)
# Elijah Nkansah, OT, Toledo (1)
Indianapolis Colts
T.J. Carrie, CB, Ohio (7)
Danny Pinter, OG, Ball State (R)
^ Rolan Milligan, S, Toledo (2)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Costin, DT, Miami (R)
^ Rashaan Melvin, CB, NIU (8)
^ Austen Pleasants, OL, Ohio (R)
Kansas City Chiefs
Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan (8)
Demone Harris, DE, Buffalo (2)
Andrew Wylie, OG, Eastern Michigan (3)
# Gehrig Dieter, WR, Bowling Green (2)
Las Vegas Raiders
Maxx Crosby, DE, Easterrn Michigan (2)
Los Angeles Chargers
Storm Norton, OT, Toledo (1)
Los Angeles Rams
Sam Sloman, K, Miami (R)
Miami Dolphins
Kavon Frazier, S, Central Michigan (5)
# Nate Holley, S, Kent State (1)
Minnesota Vikings
Chad Beebe, WR, Northern Illinois (3)
Tyler Conklin, TE, Central Michigan (3)
K.J. Osborn, WR, Buffalo (R)
Tajaé Sharpe, WR, UMass (5)
New England Patriots
Julian Edelman, WR, Kent State (12)
New Orleans Saints
None
New York Giants
# Cooper Rush, QB, Central Michigan (4)
^ Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan (3)
New York Jets
Tarell Basham, LB, Ohio (4)
^ Kyron Brown, CB, Akron (2)
Philadelphia Eagles
^ Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami (9)
# Luke Juriga, C, Western Michigan (R)
# Joe Ostman, DE, Central Michigan (3)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Olasunkanmi Adeniyi, LB, Toledo (3)
Ulysees Gilbert III, LB, Akron (2)
Diontae Johnson, WR, Toledo (2)
Chukwuma Okorafor, OLG, Western Michigan (3)
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Miami (17)
Robert Spillane, LB, Western Michigan (2)
# Jayrone Elliott, LB, Toledo (5)
San Francisco 49ers
Jimmie Ward, DB, Northern Illinois (7)
Seattle Seahawks
# Tyler Mabry, TE, Buffalo (R)
# Cody Thompson, WR, Toledo (1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Scotty Miller, WR, Bowling Green (2)
Sean Murphy-Bunting, CB, Central Michigan (2)
Patrick O’Connor, DL, Eastern Michigan (2)
# Javon Hagan, S, Ohio (R)
Tennessee Titans
Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan (4)
Brett Kern, P, Toledo (13)
Logan Woodside, QB, Toledo (1)
# Jamal Davis II, DE, Akron (1)
Washington Football Team
None
# Practice Squad
^ Reserve/Opt-Out/Pup/IR
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY & COURTESY OF THE MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
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