Tag: Knights in the NFL

What NFL teams have visited Rutgers football for training camp over the past week?

Checking in with what NFL teams were at Rutgers football this week.

There has been a steady line of NFL teams that have come through the Rutgers football facility since the start of training camp. That certainly hasn’t changed over the last 10 days.

With a very obvious and apparent rise in talent within the program has come increased interest from NFL teams. Training camp has seen quite a number of NFL teams stopping in to check out some of the talent.

This list isn’t complete, but it includes a number of teams that have sent scouts to check out Rutgers football since August 15:

This week, seven players from Rutgers were named to the wattchlist for the Senior Bowl, the most prestigious annual college football all-star game. Two years ago, Rutgers wide receiver Bo Melton parlayed a strong Senior Bowl into becoming a Day 3 selection of the Seattle Seahawks.

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Tampa Bay Bucs signed former Scarlet Knight Avery Young to their 90-man roster

On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Rutgers’ former defensive back Avery Young to their training camp roster.

On Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Rutgers’ former defensive back Avery Young to their training camp roster. Young’s signing marks the Bucs’ first roster move since opening training camp on July 26. Tampa Bay waived first-year tackle Grant Hermanns to make room for Young on the 90-man roster.

Young, the undrafted free agent, signed with the San Francisco 49ers in May but was waived last Tuesday and cleared waivers on Wednesday. The former Rutgers captain played five seasons with the Scarlet Knights and earned the program’s Iron Knight Award for demonstrating mental and physical toughness at a high level.

While playing with Rutgers, Young played three seasons at cornerback and the last two at safety. The 6-foot, 198-pound defensive back recorded 84 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble while starting all 12 games at safety last season for the Scarlet Knights.

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During the 2022 season, Young achieved All-ECAC Defense and Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference (Coaches and Media). For his Rutgers career, Young recorded 169 solo tackles, 326 total tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, 26 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 57 games.

Young will join former Rutgers teammate Christian Izien on the Buccaneers’ 90-man roster. Also, Young will join his brother Jordan Young, an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion, on the Bucs’ training camp roster.

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Former Rutgers football player is gaining NFL coaching experience

Ex-Rutgers Kaleb Johnson will gain NFL coaching experience when he takes part in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program.

Former Scarlet Knight offensive lineman Kaleb Johnson will have the opportunity to gain NFL coaching experience when he takes part in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program.

The Jacksonville native will participate in this NFL fellowship program, learning from Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and his coaching staff.

This offseason, Johnson left Rutgers football where he spent the last three seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. He is now on staff at Florida.

Johnson joined the staff for organized team activities (OTAs), with opportunities to learn from different offensive position groups throughout his stay with the Jaguars.

What is the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program?

The Bill Walsh Fellowship program allows minority coaches to learn and participate in an NFL setting. All 32 NFL teams participate in the program, with several active coaches receiving positions after participating. To qualify for the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program, you can be a former NFL player or have coaching experience in high school, college, or pro football.

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Johnson’s playing and coaching career

Johnson played for seven NFL teams in four seasons from 2015-18. While at Rutgers (2011-14), Johnson was a four-year starter and played in 50 straight games for the Scarlet Knights, two seasons under current head coach Greg Schiano. Johnson was a two-time all-conference selection in 2012 and 2014. Also, he won the Iron Knight Award for exceptionally high mental and physical toughness throughout his career.

Johnson spent several seasons on the Rutgers coaching staff as an assistant strength and conditioning coach and now works at the University of Florida as a quality control offensive assistant.

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Was running back Isiah Pacheco the steal of the 2022 NFL Draft?

The Kansas City Chiefs got tremendous value from seventh round pick Isiah Pacheco.

Isiah Pacheco might not only have been the steal of last spring’s NFL draft, he also could well have been one of the steals from last year’s rookie class.

The Kansas City Chiefs drafted former Rutgers running back Isiah Pacheco at No. 251 overall last spring. All he did was meet and exceed every expectation placed on him last season.

In his rookie season, Pacheco recorded 170 carries with 830 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Rarely does a seventh-round rookie contribute to their NFL team, but Pacheco did that and some as the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.

Was Pacheco the steal of the 2022 NFL Draft?

According to ESPN’s College Football Analyst Adam Breneman, Pacheco was an impactful player for the Chiefs and became a household name in the NFL playoffs.

“Pacheco’s success is a great example of how NFL teams can add immense value at running back last in the draft,” Breneman said.

“Isiah Pacheco had proven he’s built different, responding to unbelievable loss at a young age and becoming a star in the NFL.”

Pacheco’s road to Rutgers and the NFL hasn’t been easy, losing his brother and sister at a young age. Honoring their legacy, Pacheco ran with purpose in college, amassimg 2,442 yards on 563 carries while at Rutgers. He averaged 4.3 yards a carry and had 19 total touchdowns (18 rushing TDs and one receiving TD). The former Rutgers running back was dependable for all four years.

During the 2022 NFL Combine, Pacheco ran an impressive 4.37 40-yard dash and a 33-inch vertical jump. His 2022 NFL draft outlook had him making a contribution on offense and special teams. But Pacheco beat those odds and became an every-down back, becoming a starter at the midpoint of his rookie season.

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2022 Rutgers football in the NFL: Week 11

Rutgers football had several solid showings in the NFL this past week.

With one week left in November, the playoff picture is starting to take shape as the holiday season approaches. The focus now for many teams has shifted to division races with wins at a premium.

However, there is still plenty to talk about from the past weekend that saw several former Rutgers football players provide stellar performances. Veterans such as Duron Harmon and Sebastian- Joseph Day continued to have solid seasons and helped their teams get in the win column.

The veterans weren’t the only ones who shined on Sunday. Isiah Pachecho had a career-high 107 rushing yards and continued to see his role in the Chiefs offense grow. Titans’ cornerback Tre Avery saw the field for the third straight week and helped hold the Packers offense in check.

Fans of the Scarlet and White don’t just root for the players when they play in SHI Stadium, but they continue to cheer for their favorite former Scarlet Knights in whatever colors they don on Sundays.

Let’s see how the Scarlet Knights in the NFL performed in Week 9!

 

2022 Scarlet Knights in the NFL: Week 7

Let’s see how the former Rutgers football players now in the NFL performed in Week 7

Another week in October has come and gone, which means one thing for sports fans: football season is in full effect. Fans of the National Football League, specifically, are getting themselves ready for their team’s Week 8 matchups.

Of course, there is still plenty to talk about from the slate of Week 7 action this past weekend. Former Rutgers football stars were part of that action all across the league. Some of the younger players, rookies included, are still trying to find their footing and grab find regular playing time, while veterans continue to show off their prowess and the CHOP mentality earned ‘On the Banks’ in Piscataway.

Fans of the Scarlet and White don’t just root for the players when they play in SHI Stadium, but they continue to cheer for their favorite former Scarlet Knights in whatever colors they don on Sundays. Let’s see how the Scarlet Knights in the NFL performed in Week 7.

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2022 Scarlet Knights in the NFL: Week 5

Check out how the former Rutgers football players now in the NFL performed in Week 5 action

The calendar is halfway through October, and the National Football league is 27.8 percent of the way through the regular season schedule. Week 5 has come and gone, and the players provided yet another week of exciting action on the gridiron.

There are several Rutgers student athletes now representing franchises on Sundays. The former Scarlet Knights may be donning new colors, but they continue to show fans they have the #CHOP mentality on the field each week – both rookies and veterans alike.

Rutgers football sits at 3-3 and are making a change at offensive coordinator. Some former Knights are still familiar with that feeling around their new squads, and some are in much better positions. Whether players are starters or fighting to see the field, they make fans proud each week and fight to help their teams succeed,

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Let’s look at how the former Scarlet Knights performed in Week 5 of the NFL season.

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Every former Rutgers football player’s rating in Madden 23

With Madden NFL 23 set to release next week, let’s take a look at all of the former Rutgers players ratings

It’s August, which means it’s time for the latest edition of EA Sports video game, Madden NFL 23. This year’s version is the 34th edition in the franchises history. and the 32nd straight annual release. John Madden was announced as the cover star in honor of his death at the end of last year. He last appeared on the cover of Madden NFL 2000.

Most players are loyal, champing at the bit for any news at all about the upcoming release. Last month, EA Sports released their highly anticipated player rankings.

Through both stretches of Greg Schiano’s reign as head coach and every year in between, Rutgers has continued to build strong recruiting classes. With strong development, those classes have led the Scarlet Knights to new heights, and has also resulted in more talent making the jump to the NFL from the New Jersey state university.

Rutgers currently has 19 former stars in the NFL, and 14 of them were rated prior to the release before. Let’s take a look at all of their ratings – from lowest to highest.

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Former Rutgers football cornerback Blessuan Austin signs with Denver Broncos

Former Rutgers cornerback Blessuan Austin signed with the Denver Broncos.

Just one day before the opening round of the NFL draft, the Denver Broncos filled a big roster need. According to 9News insider Mike Klis, cornerback Blessuan Austin is signing with Denver after spending last season with the Seattle Seahawks.

Austin, 25-years old, will add depth to a Broncos defensive back room after having started 17 games over the last three seasons with Seattle and the New York Jets. Austin is one of seven players who tried out for the Broncos during voluntary minicamp this week.

The Broncos filled another need many fans thought would be addressed in the draft. This signing comes on the back of bringing back running back Melvin Gordon. Per our friend Joshua Kellem at Broncos Wire, Austin will presumably slot into the No. 4 cornerback slot behind Patrick Surtain, Ronald Darby, and K’Waun Williams. He’ll be used in the team’s dime package (six defensive backs).

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Austin was selected in the 2019 draft in the sixth round (196 overall) by the Jets. He has seen time in 29 games in his young career thus far, recording 98 tackles (77 solo, three for loss), two QB hits, eight pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

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Scarlet Knights in the NFL: Week 13

A few men may be on the bye or on the mend, but there are plenty of players who did get a chance to show their strengths on the field. Let’s see how the former Scarlet Knights did in Week 13. 

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The NFL welcomed the month of December with Week 13. The action kicked off on Thursday with the Cowboys taking on the Saints, and wrapped up Monday night as the Patriots battled against the Bills in Buffalo.

There are several former Scarlet Knights who represented Rutgers on Saturdays that are now representing new teams at the next level on Sundays. Another week of scratching and clawing for those Knights that played.

A few men may be on the bye or on the mend, but there are plenty of players who did get a chance to show their strengths on the field. Let’s see how the former Scarlet Knights did in Week 13.