Tag: Longhorns in the NFL

Chargers sign former Texas kicker Cameron Dicker

Cameron Dicker is set to handle kicking duties for the Los Angles Chargers in Week 9.

Former Texas Longhorn Cameron Dicker is set to handle place-kicking duties for the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9.

The Chargers announced the signing of Dicker off the practice squad on Thursday. Dicker will kick in place of the injured Taylor Bertolet.

Dicker has bounced around a few NFL teams during his rookies season but has taken advantage of his limited opportunities. He went 2-for-2 including a game-winning field goal for the Eagles in Week 5 of the season. An effort strong enough to win Dicker NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

In his four years at Texas, Dicker connected on 60-of-79 field goals and 206-of-210 extra point tries. He even served as an exceptional punter, averaging 48 yards per punt.

He gets another crack to prove himself as the Chargers take on the Falcons this weekend.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

WATCH: Sam Ehlinger and the Colts speak on Commanders matchup

Ehlinger is set to make his first career NFL start this against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts made headlines this week as they announced a starting quarterback change moving forward. Veteran signal caller Matt Ryan is moving to the bench in favor of Sam Ehlinger.

Ehlinger is set to make his first career NFL start this Sunday against the Washington Commanders. He takes over an offense that has seen its share of struggles over the season but does not lack talent. Running back Johnathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman are two star players on the offense.

Colts’ head coach Frank Reich hopes Ehlinger can spark a new gear into his offense entering the second half of the season. Indianapolis sits just a game outside of first place in the AFC South.

The former Longhorn has a fantastic preseason campaign and is looking to be the missing piece to the Colts’ playoff push.

Ehlinger spoke on his excitement for this opportunity and how his preparation has him ready for the moment. His teammates and coaches are looking forward to seeing what Ehlinger can bring to the table.

[mm-video type=video id=01gggf000w0sk3q77ppb playlist_id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gggf000w0sk3q77ppb/01gggf000w0sk3q77ppb-d043864153b1d935f5ff8946f49b6b9e.jpg]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Former Texas QB Sam Ehlinger discusses his first NFL start

Sam Ehlinger is making his first NFL start on Sunday.

Sam Ehlinger is making his first NFL start on Sunday. The former standout quarterback for the Texas Longhorns will look to provide a spark for the Indianapolis Colts this week.

Ehlinger has quickly moved up the depth chart with a strong preseason showing and inconsistency elsewhere in the quarterback room. Matt Ryan was once one of the NFL’s best passers, but it appears those days are behind him.

The former NFL MVP has contributed in some ways to the Colts’ offensive struggles this season. In spite of its offensive woes, Indianapolis is 3-3-1 and one game behind the division-leading Tennessee Titans.

The Colts will spend the remaining games of the season determining what they have in Ehlinger. Here’s what Sam and his team had to say ahead of his first professional start.

WATCH: Cameron Dicker makes his first NFL field goal

Dicker the Kicker makes his first NFL kick during Red River weekend.

Cameron Dicker made his first NFL kick on Sunday. The former Texas star connected on a 42-yard field goal to put the Philadelphia Eagles up 17-10.

Dicker recently was signed by Philadelphia after not finding a permanent home for the season. It’s only fitting the former Texas kicker would make his first NFL kick on the same weekend as Texas’ annual game with Oklahoma.

Dicker immortalized himself in Red River lore with his game-winning kick in the 2018 Red River Shootout. Gus Johnson’s famous call made him synonymous with elite kicking ability. Johnson announced Cameron to the world as Dicker the Kicker as he kicked the Sooners into defeat.

Heading into the season, Texas had concerns about whether or not it could perform without the former Longhorn’s consistent kicking ability. It appears things are working out for Dicker and Texas as Bert Auburn has had a good season.

The Longhorn legend figures to have many more meaningful opportunities as the Eagles push for a playoff berth.

Former Longhorn Caden Sterns shines on Thursday Night Football

Former Texas defensive back Caden Sterns is establishing himself as a playmaker in his second season at the NFL level. 

Former Texas defensive back Caden Sterns is establishing himself as a playmaker in his second season at the NFL level.

The Denver Broncos safety was all over the field against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football. Sterns aided Denver’s strong defensive performance with two interceptions and three pass breakups.

Sterns jumped in front of a couple of Matt Ryan passes to set Denver up in a position to score. The two interceptions mark Sterns’ third and fourth career takeaways.

The Broncos fell to the Colts by a score of 12-9 in a field goal fest despite Sterns’ efforts.

Sterns was selected by Denver in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL draft and is quickly becoming one of the better second-year players in the league. The best is yet to come for Sterns’ NFL career.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

WATCH: Devin Duvernay returns opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown

Devin Duvernay is a playmaker.

Devin Duvernay is wasting no time making an impact for the Baltimore Ravens this season. After catching two touchdowns in the season opener last week, Duvernay took a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown to start Sunday’s game.

The former Texas wide receiver took just 13 seconds to give his Ravens a 7-0 lead over Miami early on.

This marks Duvernay’s second career kick return for a touchdown. He had a 93-yard house call against Kansas City in his rookie year. Teams are going to start thinking twice about kicking the ball to Duvernay.

Baltimore is finding more and more ways to get Duvernay involved in their offense. He is setting himself up for a potential breakout season at the NFL level. Lamar Jackson is getting comfortable with Duvernay as one of his go-to targets.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Week 1 highlights from former Longhorns in the NFL

Former Longhorns balled out in Week 1 of the NFL season.

The 2022 NFL season is officially off and running. Week 1 wrapped up Monday night after an exciting opening slate of games.

Many former Longhorns had successful starts to the new year.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay looks to be one of Lamar Jackson’s favorite targets thus far. Duvernay hauled in two touchdowns in the dominant win over the Jets.

Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones was all over the field against the Patriots on Sunday. Jones tallied 11 tackles, one forced fumble and one sack in the victory.

His teammate Connor Williams performed great on the offensive side of the ball as well. Williams graded out as the best offensive player on the field for Miami.

Linebacker Jordan Hicks showed out in his Vikings debut. He picked up a team-high 14 tackles and a sack in Minnesota’s huge win over Green Bay. Hicks helped shut down Aaron Rodgers to just seven points in the ballgame.

Denver Broncos tight end Andrew Beck channeled his best Odell Beckam Jr. impression on Monday Night Football. He made an incredible one-handed snag early in the game against Seattle.

Here is a look at the highlights from the former Longhorns’ impressive starts to the NFL season.

Indianapolis Colts are expected to keep former Texas QB Sam Ehlinger on 53-man roster

Sam Ehlinger is having the best preseason of any NFL quarterback.

Former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is quietly having the best preseason of any NFL quarterback. It appears his team is taking notice and not letting him out of their grasp.

As of Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts are expected to keep Ehlinger on the 53-man roster. This comes on the heels of a preseason that saw him go 24-of-29 for 289 yards passing, with four passing touchdowns.

In addition, Ehlinger displayed the running ability that won Texas fans over in his time in Austin. Sam ran for 71 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown burst. The touchdown run punctuated an already stellar month of August for the young quarterback.

Based on his preseason performance, many speculated that one of the other 31 NFL teams would poach Ehlinger if he fell to waivers and/or the Colts’ practice squad. It seems Indianapolis is looking to avoid that fate, even with Matt Ryan and Nick Foles on the roster.

Sam’s time in Austin had its ups and downs, but his leadership and work ethic is unquestioned. Now he looks to reap the benefits of his hard work.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Sam Ehlinger continues to impress in the NFL preseason

Sam Ehlinger is putting together a fantastic preseason.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger is putting together a fantastic presason so far.

Ehlinger followed his excellent performance last week against the Buffalo Bills with another great outing on Saturday. He carved up the Detroit Lions’ secondary for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Ehlinger completed nine of 11 passes for a 157.8 quarterback rating.

Ehlinger found wide receiver Micheal Strachan in the corner of the end zone from 15 yards out for his first touchdown of the day.

Ehlinger continued his quality play in the second half. The former Texas Longhorn showcased his escapability and play-making on this touchdown toss, giving the Colts the lead in the third quarter.

Ehlinger is making his case for a spot on the Colts’ 53-man roster when the season starts on Sept. 11. Here is a look at Ehlinger’s impressive stat line in his two preseason appearances.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

LOOK: Former Longhorns pictured together after the Cowboys vs. Broncos game

Texas football has been representing well in the NFL preseason.

A few former Longhorn teammates competed against each other in the Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos preseason game on Saturday night.

PJ Locke, Malik Jefferson, Andrew Beck and Caden Sterns posed for a group picture with the horns up postgame.

Jefferson signed with the Cowboys this offseason. The linebacker made three tackles in the preseason opener for Dallas. Jefferson is looking to revive his NFL career.

Locke and Sterns did a great job holding down the Broncos’ secondary. Locke recorded an interception while Sterns made four total tackles.

Texas football has been representing well in the NFL preseason thus far.

Thirty-five Longhorns are on current NFL preseason rosters. Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger and Patriots wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey stood out over the weekend.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.