26 MAC Players sign free agent deals

The Mid-American Conference has already witnessed 26 former players sign NFL free agent contracts.


2012 NFL Undrafted Rookie Free Agents:
Akron, OL Jake Anderson
Bowling Green, OL Ben Bojicic, Cincinnati
Bowling Green, WR Kamar Jorden, Minnesota
Buffalo, WR Marcus Rivers, Green Bay
Kent State, C Chris Anzevino, Baltimore
Kent State, DT Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, Baltimore
Kent State, WR Sam Kirkland, Washington
Ohio, WR Phil Bates, Seattle
Ohio, P Paul Hershey, Kansas City
Ohio, LB Noah Keller, St. Louis
Northern Illinois, C Scott Wedige, Arizona
Northern Illinois, WR Nathan Palmer, San Francisco
Northern Illinois, LB Pat Schiller, Atlanta
Temple, OL Pat Boyle, Detroit
Temple, DE Morkeith Brown, Tampa Bay
Temple, OL Derek Dennis, Miami
Temple, LB Stephen Johnson, New Orleans
Temple, DE Adrian Robinson, Pittsburgh
Temple, WR Rod Streater, Oakland
Temple, OL Wayne Tribue, Denver
Toledo, WR Eric Page, Denver
Toledo, TE Danny Noble, Tampa Bay
Toledo, OL Mike VanDerMeulen, Tampa Bay
Toledo, DB Desmond Marrow, Houston
Toledo, OL Philipkeith Manley, Atlanta
Western Michigan, DL Drew Nowak, Jacksonville


Akron:
OL Jake Anderson


Bowling Green:
OL Ben Bojicic, Cincinnati
WR Kamar Jorden, Minnesota

Bojicic, Jorden Sign NFL Free Agent Contracts

Ben Bojicic and Kamar Jorden, two seniors on the 2011 Bowling Green State University football team, have signed free agent contracts with teams from the National Football League. Bojicic agreed to terms on a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, while Jorden will be joining the Minnesota Vikings.

Bojicic was a four-year starter for the Orange and Brown, finishing his career with 42 career starts and was a three-time Rimington Award Preseason Watch List member, an award given to the nation’s top center.

This past season the Farmington Hills, Mich., native started all 12 games for the Falcons, making six starts at center and another six at left tackle. He made his first career start at left tackle in the 2011 opener at Idaho, helping the Falcons to a 32-15 win versus the Vandals. He was named his team’s Offensive MVP for his efforts versus Idaho.

Jorden played just two seasons for the Falcons, but still managed to earn first-team All-MAC honors twice, while finishing his BGSU career with 174 receptions for 2,198 yards and 16 touchdowns. He ranks eighth in school history in career receptions and 11th in receiving yards.

In 2011 Jorden recorded 78 catches for 1,089 yards and a career-best 12 touchdowns (fourth-most in BGSU history). He had five 100-yard games and caught a touchdown in nine of 12 contests. His most impressive performance came this past season versus Kent State after recording 12 catches for 203 yards (fourth-most in a single game at BGSU). He also had 100-yard performances against Western Michigan (4-103), Toledo (7-106), Northern Illinois (8-152) and Wyoming (9-101).


Buffalo:
WR Marcus Rivers, Green Bay

Marcus Rivers Signs Free Agent Deal with Green Bay Packers

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo wide receiver Marcus Rivers has signed a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers. The Lackawanna, NY native will be reunited with former UB teammate James Starks.

Rivers had 117 career catches over his four-year career, but really blossomed as a junior in 2010. He had 50 catches for 690 yards and five touchdowns his junior year. As a senior, Rivers had a career-best 60 receptions for 615 yards and a pair of touchdowns.


Kent State:
C Chris Anzevino, Baltimore
DT Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, Baltimore
WR Sam Kirkland, Washington

Anzevino, Kitchen & Kirkland Sign NFL contracts

Three seniors from Kent State’s 2011 team recently signed free agent contracts with NFL teams.  Northeast Ohio products Chris Anzevino (Warren, Ohio) and Ish Kitchen (Youngstown, Ohio) both signed with the Baltimore Ravens, while wide receiver Sam Kirkland (Chesapeake, Va.) signed with the Washington Redskins.

Anzevino, a 300-pound center, and Kitchen, a 335-pound nose tackle, lined up across from each other at practice for five seasons at Kent State.  They will continue that streak this summer in Baltimore.

Named to the Rimington Watch List in each of the last two seasons, Anzevino started 48 straight games at center from 2008-2011.  He was named to the All-MAC Third Team in 2010 and was a team captain in 2011.

Kitchen’s presence in the middle played a major role in Kent State ranking first in the MAC in total defense, redzone defense and pass efficiency defense for conference-only games in 2011.  This past season, he was selected to play in the Casino Del Sol All-Star Game.

Kirkland made 113 catches for the Golden Flashes, which ties him for sixth place among the program’s career leaders.  Also serving as a kick returner, he was named to the All-MAC Third Team in 2010 and was a team captain in 2011.  Kirkland impressed scouts at Kent State Pro Day with a 45-inch vertical jump, tying the NFL Combine record.



Northern Illinois:
C Scott Wedige, Arizona
WR Nathan Palmer, San Francisco
LB Pat Schiller, Atlanta

Three Huskies sign NFL contracts

Several 2011 seniors will represent the Huskies in NFL camps this spring as undrafted free agents.  Center Scott Wedige (Elkhorn, Wis./Elkhorn Area HS) signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals, wide receiver Nathan Palmer (Elkhart, Ind./Central HS) will be in camp with the San Francisco 49ers and linebacker Pat Schiller (Geneva, Ill./Geneva HS) was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons in the hours immediately following the conclusion of the draft.  

“We’re very excited as a coaching staff, as a team and as a university to see Pat, Nate and Scott get a chance to continue to play football and follow their dreams in the NFL,” Doeren continued.  “They have worked hard to get to this point; we wish them the best and know they are going to continue to make Northern Illinois proud.”


Ohio Bobcats:
WR Phil Bates, Seattle
P Paul Hershey, Kansas City
LB Noah Keller, St. Louis

Three Bobcats Ink NFL Free Agent Contracts
Phil Bates, Paul Hershey and Noah Keller all sign NFL deals

ATHENS, Ohio--Three former Ohio football players signed professional contracts this past weekend with NFL teams. Wide receiver Phil Bates, punter Paul Hershey and linebacker Noah Keller inked NFL deals with the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams, respectively.

Bates (Omaha, Neb.) contributed through the air, on the ground, as a receiver and in the return game for the Bobcats in 2011. During his senior season, Bates caught 15 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown. He also threw a pair of touchdowns. In his two seasons at Ohio, the Iowa State transfer totaled nearly 1,000 yards of total offense.

Hershey (Fremont, Ohio) finished his senior season with 54 punts for 2,198 yards (40.7 yards per punt), dropping 25 punts inside the 20-yard line. In the Bobcats’ season-opener against New Mexico State, Hershey drilled the longest punt in school history as he hit an 80-yard punt. During his junior season, he was named as a Phil Steele 2010 All-MAC selection.

Keller (Kearney, Neb.) concluded his collegiate career after with a team-best 116 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss during his senior en route to earning All-MAC Second Team, Phil Steele All-MAC Second Team and Collegesportsmadness All-MAC First Team honors. The three-time Ohio captain, finished his career with 438 tackles. Prior to his junior season in 2010, he was named to the Nagurski Trophy Watch List.


Temple:
OL Pat Boyle, Detroit
DE Morkeith Brown, Tampa Bay
OL Derek Dennis, Miami
LB Stephen Johnson, New Orleans
DE Adrian Robinson, Pittsburgh
WR Rod Streater, Oakland
OL Wayne Tribue, Denver

Seven Owls Sign Free Agent Contracts

PHILADELPHIA – Seven Temple Owls have signed rookie free agents contracts with NFL teams, bringing the Owls' total NFL signees for 2012 to 10, tying the largest class in school history.
 
All were a part of the winningest four-year class in school history.  They became the first class in school history to be bowl eligible in three consecutive years. They won more conference games than any other class in school history. They recorded three consecutive winning seasons and out-scored opponents in four straight seasons.  These 19 seniors were also the first Owls in school history to participate in two bowl games and became the first class to win a bowl game in 32 years.

Temple's 2012 class of signees—three Draftees and seven rookie free agents—ties the school record class of 10 set in 2011.

During the 2012 NFL Draft, RB Bernard Pierce (Ardmore, Pa.) was selected in the third round by the Baltimore Ravens, TE Evan Rodriguez (North Bergen, N.J.) was selected in the fourth round by the Chicago Bears, and LB Tahir Whitehead (Newark, N.J.) was selected in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions.

The trio ties the school record for the most Owls drafted in a single year.  Three Temple Owls were also drafted in 1946, 1975, 1980, and 1987.


Toledo:
WR Eric Page, Denver
TE Danny Noble, Tampa Bay
OL Mike VanDerMeulen, Tampa Bay
DB Desmond Marrow, Houston
OL Philipkeith Manley, Atlanta

Five Rockets Sign NFL Free Agent Contracts

TOLEDO - Five former Rockets signed free agents contracts with NFL teams tonight following the conclusion of the NFL Draft.
Wide receiver Eric Page signed with Denver. Tight end Danny Noble and offensive lineman Mike VanDerMeulen signed with Tampa Bay. Defensive back Desmond Marrow signed with Houston. Offensive lineman Phillipkeith Manley signed with Atlanta.


Western Michigan:
DL Drew Nowak, Jacksonville

Drew Nowak Signs UDFA contract with Jacksonville Jaguars

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The 2011 Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year signs as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Once the final selection of the 2012 National Football League Draft was made, the work continued as undrafted players were then available to be signed by franchises as free agents.
One phone that range belonged to WMU's Drew Nowak as the Green Bay, Wis., native signed with the Jaguars shortly after the draft concluded with multiple teams showing interest.
Nowak tied for the lead in the MAC with 8.5 sacks and ranked second with 20.0 tackles for loss, tied for the sixth most in a season in WMU history and ranking fifth in the nation in 2011.  In addition, Nowak totaled 83 tackles on the year, which ranked third on the team and also tied for 20th in the conference.

At the conclusion of the 2011 season, Nowak earned  First Team All-MAC Defense, and earned the first Defensive Player of the Year award for Western Michigan since Ameer Ismail in 2006.  Nowak joins Ismail, Jason Babin (2002, 2003), Sean Mulhearn (1990), Mark Garalczyk (1986) and John Offerdahl (1985) on the list of Broncos to earn the honor. Shortly after, Nowak earned All-America status, garnering Third Team Phil Steele All-America.


Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments.