*Last Updated July 1, 2011

Since 1984, when Eastern became a member of the NCAA Championship Subdivision (FCS), 61 Eastern football players have either signed free agent contracts or have been drafted by National Football League (NFL) or Canadian Football League  (CFL) teams. Eight have been drafted by the NFL and five drafted by the CFL to go along with three NFL draftees between 1969-74. Eastern has also enjoyed a recent influx of players into the Arena Football League (AFL) and arenafootball2 (af2), as well as in the United Football League (UFL) and Indoor Football League (IFL). The list below shows EWU’s current professionals and the team they are currently with. In the bios that follow, the years listed are the years they lettered at Eastern. The second line is the original team they were drafted by or signed a free agent contract with.

2011 Professionals (as of July 1, 2011)

Oakland Raiders (NFL) - Taiwan Jones – Running Back – Letter Winner at EWU 2008-09-10
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) - Nathan Overbay – Tight End – 2006-07-08-09
Tennessee Titans (NFL) - Michael Roos – Offensive Tackle – 2001-02-03-04
Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) - Isaiah Trufant – Defensive Back – 2002-03-04-05
Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) - J.C. Sherritt – Linebacker – 2007-08-09-10
Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) - Matt Nichols  – Quarterback  – 2006-07-08-09
Edmonton Eskimos (CFL) - Greg Peach – Defensive Line – 2005-06-07-08
Montreal Alouettes (CFL) - Shea Emry – Linebacker – 2005-06
British Columbia Lions (CFL) - Ryan Phillips – Defensive Back – 2003-04
Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL) - Dario Romero – Defensive Line – 1997-98-99-00
Tulsa Talons (AFL) - Lance Witherspoon – Defensive Line – 2005-06-07-08
Spokane Shock (AFL) - Erik Meyer – Quarterback – 2002-03-04-05
Spokane Shock (AFL) - Raul Vijil – Wide Receiver – 2002-03-04-05
Hartford Colonials (UFL) - Keith Grennan – Defensive Line – 2005-06
Arizona Adrenaline (IFL) - Muhammad Shamsid-Deen – Defensive Back – 2002-03-04-05
TBA - Jesse Hoffman – Cornerback/Special Teams – 2006-08-09-10

Other Current Pros - Notable Former Pros - Other Former Pros

Michael Roos – Off. Tackle – Letter Winner at EWU 2001-02-03-04
Drafted in the 2nd round (41st overall) by Tennessee in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Tennessee Titans: Since becoming a Tennessee Titan, Roos has started 96-consecutive regular season games for Tennessee in six seasons with the franchise. In addition to two AFC Playoff games (one each following the 2007 and 2008 seasons), 25 preseason games, one start in the Pro Bowl (following the 2008 season on Feb. 8, 2009) and 35 starts to end his EWU career, he has a current streak of 159-straight starts heading into the 2011 season.

In his latest season in 2010, he was a member of an offensive front that opened holes for Titans’ ball carriers to gain 1,727 rushing yards. In 2009, he was a second-team All-Pro selection by Associated Press as he blocked for the NFL’s second-best rushing attack (162.0 yards per game). He helped open holes for Chris Johnson, who became just the sixth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards. Tennessee’s offensive line allowed only 16 sacks and helped the team finish with the second-most rushing yards in franchise history with 305 versus Jacksonville on Nov. 1.

The 2008 season was a season of firsts for Roos as Associated Press selected him as one of two offensive tackles on its 2008 All-Pro team. He was one of just two NFL offensive tackles selected to the first team (the other was Jordan Gross of Carolina). In addition, he earned his first Pro Bowl invitation and started in the game played on Feb. 8, 2009. In November 2008, Roos was selected to the mid-season NFL All-Pro team selected by Sports Illustrated and writer Paul Zimmerman.

Among the many former Eagles who have played in the NFL, none have ever been invited to the Pro Bowl, let alone win All-Pro honors. However, Kurt Schulz (Buffalo Bills) was an alternate in 2001 and both he and Ed Simmons (Washington Redskins) earned all-division accolades during their 10- and 11-year NFL careers, respectively.

Roos allowed just one sack in 16 regular season games in the 2008 season, and was part of an offensive line that allowed a NFL-low and franchise-record 12 sacks in 2008. He played a key role in opening holes for the league’s seventh-ranked rushing attack that featured Pro Bowler Chris Johnson (1,228 yards, nine TDs) and LenDale White (773 yards, 15 TDs to rank third in the NFL). Tennessee rushed for a franchise-record 332 rushing yards in Week 7 at Kansas City.

The Titans won the 2008 AFC South Division title with a 13-3 record – the best record in the NFL during the regular season. Tennessee then received a first-round bye in the playoffs before their season came to an end with a 13-10 loss to Baltimore. In May 2008, Roos signed a six-year, $43 million contract extension with the Titans.

Besides being a stellar season for Roos, 2008 was also a season of continued improvement for the Titans. Roos helped the Titans go from a 4-12 record as a rookie in 2005 to an 8-8 mark in 2006 as the Titans just missed the playoffs. In 2007, the Titans finished 10-6 and advanced to the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2003. Tennessee won its final three regular season games in 2007, including a 16-10 victory over defending Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis on the final day of the regular season. Roos started his 96th-consecutive game when the Titans lost in the first round to San Diego on Jan. 6, 2008. Earlier in the season, Roos helped the Titans rush for what was then a club-record 282 yards in a 13-10 win over Jacksonville.

Drafted in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft (41st pick overall), Roos started all 16 games as a rookie at right tackle for the Titans. The following season, Roos moved to left tackle when 13 year-veteran Brad Hopkins retired in the off-season. Roos started all 16 games at left tackle as he helped the Tennessee rushing attack rank third in the AFC and fifth in the NFL with 2,214 rushing yards, while posting a franchise record 4.7-average yards per carry for the season. Roos also helped pave the way for running back Travis Henry to rush for 1,211 yards and Vince Young to become the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to exceed 500 rushing yards.

Said Titans General Manager Floyd Reese at the end of the 2005 season: “He showed the versatility to play both left or right, and very seldom are you going to find a lot of guys like that. That is quite a bill to fill.”

2005 NFL Draft: Roos became the highest draft choice in school history when Tennessee selected him in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He was the 41st selection overall, the third offensive tackle selected and the first FCS player taken. In addition, he was the first Big Sky Conference player selected and the highest since 1989. At the time he was drafted, Roos had played just six seasons of football, starting as a senior at Mountain View High School in fall 1999. He moved to the United States from Estonia in 1992.

At Eastern: Roos came to Eastern as a tight end after graduating from Mountain View High School in 2000. After redshirting one season, he played the 2001 season on the defensive line before starting 35-straight Eagle games at left offensive tackle. As a senior in 2004, he earned five different All-America honors and was the I-AA.Org Lineman of the Year after helping Eastern to a 9-4 record and the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Roos played in a pair of prestigious college all-star games – the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl – and was also invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top offensive lineman in school history. In addition, Eastern honored Roos by retiring his jersey at EWU’s Homecoming game on Oct. 24, 2009, versus Montana State. And as a tribute to his giving legacy, Eastern re-named Woodward Field to “Roos Field” in fall 2010 upon completion of the Red Turf project that he and his wife Katherine pledged $500,000 toward.

Other Current Pros:

Taiwan Jones – Running Back – 2008-09-10
Drafted in the 4th round (125th overall) by the Oakland Raiders in the 2011 NFL Draft

2011 NFL Draft: As the 125th pick overall of the Oakland Raiders, Jones is Eastern’s second-highest draft choice ever. Jones was the fifth NCAA Football Championship Subdivision player taken in the 2011 draft, and the first from the Big Sky Conference. The two-time All-American was born in San Francisco, and graduated in 2007 from Deer Valley High School in Antioch, Calif., before becoming an Eagle. Antioch is located less than 40 miles east of Oakland. Jones is Eastern’s first draft choice since Michael Roos became the highest draft choice in school history when Tennessee selected him in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft.

On Jan. 15, 2011, Jones announced he was leaving Eastern a year early and officially declared himself eligible for the 2011 Draft. Another former Eastern running back, Jesse Chatman (1999-00-01), did the same following his junior season, but was undrafted before spending seven years in the NFL. Jones participated sparingly at the NFL Combine in February, then skipped EWU’s pro day on March 30. However, he tested exceptionally well on April 14 at a personal pro day in Pittsburg, Calif., including a 40-yard dash time of 4.33 seconds.

At Eastern: Although unable to play in EWU’s last 2 1/2 games of his junior season because of a foot injury, Jones led the 2010 Eagles to a 13-2 record and the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title. Jones, who averaged 7.7 yards per carry in his 24-game career as a running back, suffered a fracture to the base of his fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot in EWU’s 38-31 overtime victory over North Dakota State Dec. 11 in the quarterfinals. Interestingly, the type of fracture he suffered is generally referred to as a “Jones Fracture,” named after Sir Robert Jones, who first described this fracture pattern in 1902. He finished with a career-high 230 yards rushing against NDSU, including 203 yards and a touchdown in the first half (138 on his first four carries of the game), but wasn’t able to play for the Eagles again. Eastern was 3-0 without Jones in the lineup in 2010, including a 41-31 semifinal victory in the playoffs over Villanova and a 20-19 championship game win over Delaware.

He was named to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America first teams as selected by the American Football Coaches Association and Associated Press, and was the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year. In addition, Jones was selected on Dec. 22 as the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by Phil Steele Publications, and was a first-team All-America selection by that publication. He finished fourth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in FCS by The Sports Network.

Jones finished the 2010 season with 1,742 yards to rank as the third-best performance in school history, ahead of the 1,216 he had in 2010. He recorded the 15th 1,000-yard rushing performance in school history in 2010, including 11 in the last 16 seasons (1995-2010). He finished with an average of 145.2 yards per game to rank second in the NCAA Championship Subdivision. After leading the nation in all-purpose yards per game for several weeks early in the year, Jones finished second with an average of 201.8 yards (rushing, receiving, returns) per game. He was also 13th in scoring (8.50 per game with 17 total touchdowns).

Jones averaged an impressive 7.5 yards per carry as a sophomore, then bettered that to 7.9 yards per rush in 2010 to lead FCS (among the top 45 rushers averaging at least 75 yards per game). He had five plays in his career of at least 80 yards, 10 of 70 or more, 16 of at least 60, 21 of at least 50 and 36 of at least 32 yards. He had a school-record 96-yard touchdown run versus Idaho State in 2009. Twelve times in his career he eclipsed the 200-yard mark in all-purpose yards and had 15 rushing performances of at least 100 yards.

Jones is only the 12th Eagle to rush for over 2,000 yards in his career, and is fifth with 2,955. He also has a career average of 162.0 all-purpose yards per game to rank as the school record, 37 total touchdowns to rank third, his total of 5,021 all-purpose yards are second, his 1,134 kickoff return yards are sixth and he ranks fourth in points scored with 222.

Jones ended his career with a string of seven-straight 100-yard rushing performances, with a total of 1,176 yards (168.0 per game), an 8.5 average per rush and 11 touchdowns in those seven games. He had 15 100-yard rushing performances in 24 career games as a running back, and nine in the 2009 season.

J.C. Sherritt – Linebacker – 2007-08-09-10
Signed a free agent contract with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in 2011.

The 2010 recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award given to the top defensive player in the NCAA Championship Subdivision, Sherritt signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Eskimos on April 20, 2011. There, he re-joined former Eastern teammates Greg Peach -- the 2008 Buchanan winner -- and quarterback Matt Nichols. At Eastern, Sherritt was the national defensive player of the year, a two-time consensus All-American and ended his career as a national champion. Eastern defeated Delaware 20-19 on Jan. 7, 2011, in Frisco, Texas, to capture the 2010 NCAA Division I title in his final game as an Eagle. He finished his career with a school-record 432 tackles in his 47-game career (35 as a starter) to rank second in Big Sky history and 10th all-time in the FCS. On the eve of the title game, Sherritt was awarded the Buck Buchanan Award presented by The Sports Network to the top defensive player in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Sherritt was also selected to six different All-America teams as a first-team selection, and was the College Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year and the Big Sky Defensive MVP. In addition, the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters (SWABS) selected Sherritt as the Male Amateur Athlete of the Year. Sherritt finished his senior season with 176 tackles, which ranks sixth in FCS history and bettered his own league and school records from 2009 when he finished with 170 tackles. He finished the 2010 season ranked eighth in the FCS with an average of 11.7 tackles per game after leading FCS as a junior (14.2 per game). Sherritt concluded his career with 18 tackles and a pass broken up in the national championship game.  Earlier in the playoffs, in a 38-31 overtime victory over North Dakota State, Sherritt broke the school record of 399 career tackles previously held by Greg Belzer (1997-2000). He capped his record-breaking night by forcing the fumble that was recovered by EWU to end the game against NDSU at the Eastern 1-yard line. He added eight tackles versus Villanova in the FCS semifinals. He also had six career interceptions to go along with 13 passes broken up, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and a trio of sacks, with a total of 35 1/2 tackles for loss totaling 79 yards in losses.

Jesse Hoffman – Cornerback/Special Teams – 2006-08-09-10
Expected to sign a free agent contract with an NFL team in summer 2011.

Hoffman started 16 of the 46 games he played in his EWU career and was also a dangerous return threat while at Eastern. He finished with 125 career tackles, four interceptions and 16 passes broken up, which ranks 12th in school history. Before moving to defense, he had 234 yards as a running back as a true freshman in 2006. Hoffman earned honorable-mention All-Big Sky Conference honors as a senior, as he started 14 of 15 games at cornerback and finished with 75 tackles. He had three interceptions and 12 passes broken up -- the fifth-best performance in school history. He closed his career with eight tackles and a pass broken up EWU’s 20-19 victory over Delaware on Jan. 7, 2011, for the NCAA Division I Championship. Hoffman finished the season ranked seventh in FCS in average per kickoff return (28.5) as his average ranks sixth in school history. Hoffman had an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against North Dakota State on Dec. 11, 2010, giving him three returns for a TD in the 2010 season. That equaled a Big Sky Conference and school record shared with former Eagle Bashir Levingston, who had all three of his against Sacramento State on Oct. 31, 1998. His career average of 26.9 on 33 career returns now ranks fourth in school history, with the school record of 30.0 owned by Lamont Brightful (1998-01). His 958 career kickoff return yards are eighth.

Matt Nichols  – Quarterback  – 2006-07-08-09
Signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL in 2010.

Nichols is now with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League after originally signing a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. He appeared in two preseason games for the Cowboys in 2010, completing 10-of-16 passes for 81 yards and two interceptions. After getting released by the Cowboys at the end of training camp on Aug. 19, 2010, he signed with Edmonton as a free agent on October 13, 2010, and spent the rest of the year on the team’s practice roster. In his debut as an Eskimo in a preseason game against Saskatchewan on June 17, 2011, he completed 6-of-10 passes for 53 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. At Eastern, Nichols earned prestigious first-team NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association, as well as three other All-America honors. He finished fourth in the voting for the Payton Award given to the top player in FCS, and was also the Big Sky’s Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career. He broke 14 school records and six Big Sky Conference marks in his 47-game career (45 as a starter). He passed for 3,830 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior, giving him a total of 12,616 yards and 96 touchdowns in his career. His career yardage total ranks sixth in FCS history and his touchdown total is 10th. He completed a career-best 65 percent of his passes in 2009 to give him a passing efficiency rating of 156.5 to rank eighth in FCS. He was fifth in total offense (327.7 per game) and third in passing offense (319.2). He played in the East-West Shrine Game following his senior season after helping lead the Eagles to NCAA Football Championship Playoff berths in 2007 and 2009.

Nathan Overbay – Tight End – 2006-07-08-09
Signed a free agent with the Denver Broncos of the NFL in 2010.

Overbay is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after originally signing a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos. He spent the 2010 preseason with the Broncos before being waived on the final roster cutdown. Overbay spent the first week of the season on Denver’s practice squad, but was then released and signed by the Buccaneers on Oct. 26, 2010.  He was eventually moved to Tampa Bay’s 53-man active roster on Dec. 20, 2010, but did not play in any games. At Eastern, Overbay earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-America honors in 2009 and was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection. Overbay caught 51 passes for 588 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior at Eastern, and in his 43-game career (22 as a starter) he caught 93 passes for 1,189 yards and a school-record for a tight end with 19 touchdown receptions. He played in the East-West Shrine Game following his senior season after helping lead the Eagles to NCAA Football Championship Playoff berths in 2007 and 2009. He is the nephew of Toronto Blue Jays major league baseball player Lyle Overbay.

Greg Peach – Defensive Line – 2005-06-07-08
Signed a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in 2009.

The 2008 recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award given to the top defensive player in the NCAA Championship Subdivision, Peach signed with the Edmonton Eskimos in May 2009. In his first game as a pro a month later on June 17, Peach had a pair of sacks in a 45-12 preseason win over Saskatchewan. He went on to finish with a team-leading six sacks in the regular season as he played alongside fellow former Eagle Dario Romero, who also had six sacks. Peach finished with a total of 45 tackles as he started all 16 of the games he played. He had five tackles in a 24-21 first-round playoff loss to Calgary after Edmonton finished the regular season 9-9. In his second season, Peach started the first game at defensive end, but left with a left ankle injury during the first quarter and did not return. He was placed on the nine-game injured list and returned to the lineup for game 11. In nine games (nine starts) he had 28 defensive tackles, four quarterback sacks, two tackles for losses (four yards), a forced fumble, a knockdown and a blocked conversion attempt. Peach finished his Eastern career with 35 1/2 sacks and 63 total tackles for loss to set school records in both categories, as well as in a single season (18 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in 2008). He finished his career ranked second in both single season and career sacks in the Big Sky and fourth in FCS history. He finished his career as a two-time FCS All-American after starting 40 of a total of 47 games played. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Lance Witherspoon – Defensive Line – 2005-06-07-08
Signed a contract with the Cleveland Gladiators of the AFL in 2010

After starting the 2011 season with the Spokane Shock in the Arena Football League, Witherspoon was released and is now with the Tulsa Talons. He had a sack in his Tulsa debut on June 19, 2011, in a 48-42 win over the Philadelphia Soul. Earlier in the season with Spokane, he scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone for his first career touchdown in Spokane’s 71-49 win over Dallas on May 14, 2011. He played in just two games for the Shock, but had five tackles, a half-sack, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry. He spent the 2010 season with the Cleveland Gladiators, and finished with 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. While at Eastern, Witherspoon played in 42 games (29 as a starter), and finished his career with 121 tackles, seven sacks, 37 total tackles for loss, seven passes broken up, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. He earned second-team All-Big Sky Conference honors in both his junior and senior seasons, starting a combined 21 games. He received honorable-mention All-America accolades as a junior from The Sports Network.

Keith Grennan – Defensive Line – 2005-06
Signed a contract with San Diego of the NFL in 2007.

Grennan is now entering his second season with the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. He had originally re-signed with the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 6, 2010, but he was released before ever playing in a game for Cleveland. He was on the practice squad of the Browns for part of the 2009 season, having been signed on Sept. 9 after being released by the San Diego Chargers. In 2008, he played in one game for the Chargers, finishing with a tackle in his regular season NFL debut against Indianapolis on Nov. 23, 2008. In four preseason games in 2008, he had 10 total tackles. He survived the final cuts in San Diego as a rookie in 2007 and spent the season as a practice squad player after recording six tackles in four preseason games. He earned honorable-mention All-Big Sky Conference honors as a senior at Eastern in 2006. He had 37 tackles with a pair of sacks in his final season as an Eagle, giving him career totals of 65 tackles and five sacks in his 21-game career. A transfer from Central Washington, he started all 11 games at defensive tackle for EWU in 2006, giving him 15 total career starts.

Shea Emry – Linebacker – 2005-06
Drafted in the first round of the 2008 CFL draft by the Montreal Alouettes.

A former Eagle linebacker who concluded his playing career at the University of British Columbia, Emry helped lead Montreal to the 2009 and 2010 Grey Cup championships. In his three-year career thus far (2008-10), he has 114 tackles, three sacks and an interception. In 2010, the Alouettes finished 14-6, defeating Saskatchewan 21-18 for the title, as Emry finished with three tackles. He closed the 2010 season with 58 total tackles, an interception and one sack. The previous year, Montreal also beat the Roughriders for the title, winning 28-27 in the title game when Emry also had three tackles. The Alouettes finished 17-3, including 15-3 in the regular season as he finished with 52 tackles to rank second on the team. He also had a pair of sacks, and his season-best tackling performance was seven against British Columbia on Sept. 13. Emry was the seventh pick overall by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2008 CFL draft, and finished his rookie season in 2008 with 25 tackles, including a team-high 21 on special teams. He had 58 total tackles in 21 games as an Eastern player, including 46 with an interception in nine games as a sophomore in 2006. He earned honorable-mention All-Big Sky Conference honors on special teams as a freshman in 2005. In 2007, he had 52 tackles for the UBC Thunderbirds. Emry came to Eastern from Vancouver, B.C., and was a 2004 graduate of Vancouver College Prep, which was coached by former Eastern quarterback Todd Bernett (1991-92-93-94).

Erik Meyer – Quarterback – 2002-03-04-05
Signed a contract with Cincinnati of the NFL in 2006.

Meyer, the 2005 Walter Payton Award winner, is now playing with the Spokane Shock in the Arena Football League. In his debut as an AFL starter on June 10, 2011, he completed 26-of-36 passes for 332 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception in a 75-54 win over Philadelphia. In his next game, a 63-60 win over Chicago, he was 15-of-19 for 202 yards, five touchdowns and one interception in just over a half of action. He suffered a concussion after staking Spokane to a 49-27 lead. He was a backup in 2010 for Spokane and played in two games, completing 18-of-28 passes for 274 yards and five touchdowns. The Shock went on to win the AFL Championship -- its third league title in the team’s five-year existence. Included in his completions was a 31-yard TD pass to former Eastern teammate Raul Vijil against Utah in a 77-28 victory. Meyer then signed with the Utah Blaze for the 2011 season, but did not throw a pass before being traded back to Spokane in June 2011. Previously, he signed on Feb. 25, 2009, with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL but was released on May 27. In 2008, he was signed and released by the Oakland Raiders after missing the 2007 NFL season to recover from a broken leg suffered just after he was signed and released by the Seattle Seahawks. He played in spring and summer 2007 for the Cologne Centurions in NFL Europa, taking over as the starter in the third game of the season and helping the team to a 6-4 record. He completed 68.8 percent of his passes to set a NFL Europa record that will never be broken (the NFL decided to cease existence of the league shortly after the season). He ranked second among NFLE quarterbacks with a passer rating of 101.1. He completed 141-of-241 passes for 1,612 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. Meyer also added 138 rushing yards and one touchdown. He was NFL Europa’s Player of the Week after his performance for the Cologne Centurions in a key victory over the Amsterdam Admirals on June 9. He completed 21-of-29 passes for 287 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions during Cologne’s 31-13 victory. That performance gave him a league-best quarterback rating of 138.1 in the game, edging his previous league-best performance of 136.9 earlier that season against Berlin. He earned the starting position in week three with a 14-6 victory over the Rhein Fire. At the time, the win moved the Centurions into second place in the standings behind the defending champion Frankfurt Galaxy. He helped fuel a 20-17 comeback victory over Rhein after being down with just over 20 minutes left in the game. He originally signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2006 but was released. Meyer was a two-time All-American at EWU and was named the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior. Meyer became just the 12th player in FCS history to throw for at least 4,000 yards in a single season (he finished with 4,003 in 2005). He also had 30 touchdowns, just five interceptions and a passing efficiency rating of 169.3. With a completion percentage of .657, 10,261 yards, 84 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions in 42 career games, Meyer broke the FCS record for efficiency rating by quarterbacks with at least 400 completions with a rating of 166.47. Meyer became just the 17th player in FCS history to pass for more than 10,000 yards in his career. He still holds the school’s career record for passing efficiency, and at one time held records for attempts, completions, yards and touchdown passes that were broken by Matt Nichols (2006-09), who was 996-of-1608 for 12,616 yards and 96 touchdowns in his career. Meyer also held the team’s total offense record with 10,942 yards, but that was broken by the 13,308 of Nichols. Meyer holds all three school records for completion percentage -- 90.5 percent versus Northern Arizona on Oct. 9, 2004, 67.8 percent in 2004 and 65.7 percent in his career. Meyer also holds the single season efficiency record at 171.4 in 2004, a year before his 2005 campaign when he had school records that still stand with 4,003 passing yards and 333.6 yards per game. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008, and a public vote selected Meyer as the top quarterback in school history.

Isaiah Trufant – Defensive Back – 2002-03-04-05
Signed a contract with the Spokane Shock of af2 in 2006.

Trufant was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2010 season, during which he had a brief stint with the New York Jets on their practice squad and active roster in December 2010. He played in one regular-season game and one playoff game for the Jets, and finished with two special teams tackles in his NFL debut versus Buffalo on Jan. 2, 2011. Prior to his first NFL invitation, he had played played in three different leagues in five seasons as a professional. Most recently, Trufant was the Defensive Player of the Year in the United Football League in 2010 after leading the league with four interceptions and finishing the regular season (nine games) with 30 tackles. He led the Locomotives to its second-straight UFL title, defeating the Florida Tuskers 23-20, as Trufant finished with three tackles. In a 22-10 regular season victory over Omaha, Trufant returned an interception for a touchdown to give Las Vegas a lead it never relinquished. He then had a second interception, which catapulted Las Vegas to first in the UFL standings and handed the Nighthawks their first franchise defeat. He also played in 2009 for Las Vegas during the debut season of the UFL. He had an interception in overtime that led to the winning field goal in a 20-17 victory over Florida in the inaugural UFL Championship Game. During the regular season, he had 12 1/2 tackles in helping Las Vegas to a 4-2 record. Trufant played in 2008 for the Arizona Rattlers in the AFL after spending the 2007 season with the Kansas City Brigade. Although he missed three of the team’s first 14 games (8-6 record) because of an injury, Trufant led the Rattlers with 62 tackles, four interceptions and 17 passes broken up. He was the Arena Football League’s Defensive Player of the Week in early June when he helped the Rattlers clinch a playoff berth with a 60-53 win over Orlando. He had an interception and two forced fumbles in Orlando’s first four possessions of the game as the Arizona defense allowed just 13 points in the first half. In 2007 he played for the Kansas City Brigade, but was injured and played in only half of KC’s games. He led the team with 17 passes broken up and added 52 1/2 tackles, three fumble recoveries and one interception. He suffered a neck sprain against the padding of the sideline on May 20, 2007, and missed the next three games. At the time of his injury he was leading the Brigade in tackles. He was the league’s defensive player of the week in a 65-31 victory over Las Vegas when he had an interception, four passes broken up, a forced fumble and 4 1/2 tackles. In 2006, he joined four other former Eagles to lead Spokane to a 17-2 record and the af2 title in the team’s inaugural season in the league. In 19 games, he finished with 43 total tackles, 15 passes broken up and three interceptions. He had seven passes broken up and six tackles in a playoff semifinal game as he earned defensive player of the game honors. While at EWU, Trufant was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection as a junior in 2004 before missing several games with an injury as a senior. He finished with 11 interceptions in his career to finish ranked sixth in school history. The brother of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant, Isaiah had career totals of 133 tackles and 24 passes broken up,k which ranked sixth in school history. His total of 35 passes defensed (including interceptions and passes broken up) ranked seventh in FCS history. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top defensive back in school history (along with Kurt Schulz).

Raul Vijil – Wide Receiver – 2002-03-04-05
Signed a contract with the Spokane Shock of af2 in 2006.

Vijil has played for the Spokane Shock all six seasons the team has been in existence, earning first-team All-af2 honors in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He has caught nearly 500 regular season passes and scored more than 170 touchdowns while helping Spokane to an all-time record of 88-20 through the first 13 games of the 2011 season. Although a knee injury kept Vijil sidelined for the last nine games of the 2010 season, the Shock finished 16-3 and won the AFL title -- its third championship in the franchise’s short, five-year history. In the first 73 regular season games of his career (through games of June 17, 2011), he has 487 catches for 5,567 yards and 151 touchdowns, with another 23 touchdowns scored via rushing or returns and a career total of 9,209 all-purpose yards. Through Spokane’s first 13 games of the 2011 season, Vijil played in nine of those contests and had 66 catches for 715 yards and 20 touchdowns, with a total of 723 all-purpose yards and one more score via a kickoff return. In the 10 games he played in the 2010 season, Vijil caught 82 passes for 1,083 yards and 33 touchdowns, and also had 541 yards and a touchdown in 28 kick returns. In 2009, Vijil led the Shock to a final record of 19-1 (15-1 in the regular season) and the af2 title. He caught 116 passes for 1,415 yards and 36 touchdowns in the 15 regular season games he played. He also had 54 kick returns for 1,119 yards and another touchdown, and five rushes for three yards and two more scores. In four playoff games, he had 28 catches for 284 yards and four TDs, four kick returns for 94 yards and three rushes for seven yards and another score. He finished 14 games in the 2008 regular season with 107 catches for 1,112 yards and 35 touchdowns, with 42 total TDs. He added 35 catches for 426 yards and nine more touchdowns in four playoff games. He was plagued by injuries in 2007, but finished with 57 catches for 616 yards and 15 touchdowns, scoring a total of 16 touchdowns in nine games. He and four other former Eagles helped lead the 2006 team to a 17-2 record and the af2 title in Spokane’s inaugural season in the league. In 16 regular season games as a rookie in 2006, Vijil scored 22 touchdowns, with 59 catches for 626 yards and 12 scores. He was the team’s leading rusher with 30 carries for 68 yards and 10 TDs, and he added 24 1/2 total tackles and four passes broken up. Vijil finished his 44-game EWU career with 129 receptions for 1,966 yards and 10 touchdowns, including 72 catches for 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior in 2005 to earn second-team All-Big Sky Conference honors. His 72 receptions currently ranks as the sixth-most in school history (third at the time), and his 1,080 yards are sixth (fourth then). He is just out of the top 15 on EWU’s all-time receptions lists and the top 10 in yardage. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Muhammad Shamsid-Deen – Defensive Back – 2002-03-04-05
Signed a contract with Tri-Cities Fever of af2 in 2007

Shamsid-Deen is now playing for the Arizona Adrenaline in the Indoor Football League. He played the 2009 and 2010 seasons for the Billings Outlaws in the IFL. He had 38 tackles and six passes broken up in nine regular season games in 2010, then led the Outlaws to its second-straight IFL title before the franchise folded. He had 39.5 tackles, six interceptions and five passes broken up in helping league-champion Billings to a 12-2 regular season record in 2009. The Outlaws went on to defeat the RiverCity Rage in the inaugural United Bowl in August 2009. In 2008, he played for the Stockton Lightning in af2, with 62 total tackles, three interceptions and seven passes broken up in 12 games. Earlier in the year he signed with the Arkansas Twisters of af2 after spending the 2007 season playing for the Tri-Cities Fever. He finished 2007 with 51 tackles and also had two interceptions, seven passes broken up and a fumble recovery. Known for his hard hits, he finished his 46-game Eastern career with 139 tackles, five passes broken up and five forced fumbles (second in EWU history).

Ryan Phillips – Defensive Back – 2003-04
Signed a contract with the B.C. Lions of the CFL in 2005.

Phillips is in his seventh season on the roster of the British Columbia Lions in the CFL. In his first six years with the team, he has not missed a game (108 regular season games and eight playoff games) and has started every one of those games. He has regular season career totals of 27 interceptions, 288 tackles (14 on special teams) and 35 passes broken up. His 27 career interceptions rank fifth in franchise history, and he has returned four for touchdowns. He also has seven career fumble recoveries for 48 yards in returns, including one returned for a TD.  Phillips returned to all-star form in 2010 by recording his second-highest totals for interceptions (five) and return yards (109). He also had a career-best four sacks after getting just one in his first five seasons in the league. He was named to both the Western Division and CFL All-Star teams in 2010, and started all 18 games for the sixth-straight season. A key defender at halfback, Phillips also spent time on special teams and finished with a pair of special teams tackles. He was voted CFL Defensive Player of the Week for Week No. 18 after he had a pair of interceptions for 33 return yards versus Saskatchewan. He had a season-high eight tackles (one away from his career high) on Oct. 16, 2010, versus Edmonton. The Lions were 8-10 in the regular season before losing 56-18 to eventual CFL champion Montreal in the playoffs, as Phillips finished with six tackles and an interception in the loss. In 2009, he had four interceptions, a pair of fumble recoveries and 38 tackles as an 18-game starter for the Lions, who finished the regular season 8-10 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. He scored on a 60-yard interception return and a 21-yard fumble recovery. In 2008, he started all 18 regular season games at defensive halfback and finished with 43 tackles, nine passes broken up and one interception. He then had two interceptions at Saskatchewan in the West Semi-Final, which included a 54-yard return for a TD to seal the win in the fourth quarter. For his heroics, he earned CFL Defensive Player of the Week honors.  He led the league in interceptions in 2007 with 12 en route to earning CFL All-Star and CFL West Division All-Star accolades. He also had the third-highest interception return yards total in league history with 299, including one pick returned for a touchdown. He also led the Lions with 11 passes broken up and ranked fourth on the team with 65 total tackles. In 2006, he played in all 18 games for British Columbia as the Lions won the Grey Cup. He finished the season with 28 total tackles, two interceptions (one for a 23-yard TD), two fumble recoveries and three pass knockdowns. He added the club’s only interception in the West Championship and chipped in three tackles in the Grey Cup. He played the 2005 season as a defensive halfback for the Lions, starting 18 games and ranking third on the team with 56 tackles. He also had three interceptions and was the CFL’s Defensive Player of the Month in August. The Lions finished 12-6 and were the West Division Champions. Phillips was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2004 as he concluded his 18-game Eagle career with 61 tackles, six interceptions and 10 passes broken up on defense. He also rushed for 88 yards, caught three passes for 17 yards and had 21 kickoff returns for a 22.0 average per return.

Dario Romero – Defensive Line – 1997-98-99-00
Signed a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in 2001. 

Now with Saskatchewan in the CFL and in his 11th season as a professional, Romero played the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons with Edmonton where his professional career started back in 2001. He has 143 career regular season tackles in six CFL seasons, including 20 sacks to go along with an interception and three fumble recoveries. He finished with 24 tackles, a sack and fumble recovery in 2010 as a 15-game starter while playing alongside fellow former Eagle Greg Peach, as they helped the Eskimos finish 7-11. In 2009, Romero was a West Division All-Star after starting all 12 games he played before a bicep injury ended his season. He finished with 22 tackles and two knockdowns to go along with a team-leading six sacks in the regular season. He played alongside Peach, who also had six sacks as a rookie.  Edmonton finished the regular season 9-9, then suffered a 24-21 first-round playoff loss to Calgary. In 2008, Romero had 30 defensive tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, four tackles for losses and six quarterback sacks. He had two sacks versus Hamilton on July 25 and two against Saskatchewan on August 21. Romero earned CFL Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Roughriders as the Eskimo defense limited Saskatchewan to just 279 yards of net offense. He played in 16 games with 15 starts, and was named a 2008 West Division All-Star as Edmonton advanced to the playoffs. Before returning to Edmonton, he had played four seasons with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL and two with Montreal in the CFL. In 2007, he joined former Eagles Luke Fritz, Jesse Hendrix and Lamont Brightful on the Alouettes roster and finished with 28 tackles and four sacks in 18 games played. He also added two tackles for loss, two passes broken up, one interception and a fumble recovery. He missed several games for Montreal in the 2006 season with an injury, but finished with 19 tackles. He spent the 2005 season on the roster of the Miami Dolphins after signing a contract on March 28, 2005. He played in 15 games for Miami in 2004, making the second start of his career on Nov. 21 at Seattle. He finished the year with 35 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks. He played in eight games with the Dolphins in 2003, finishing with five tackles and a pass broken up. The first start of his career came in Miami’s season-ending 23-21 victory over the New York Jets. He didn’t play in any games in 2002 after signing a contract with the Dolphins on Jan. 16, 2002. His professional career began in the 2001 season for the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. He played in 11 games as a starter for the Eskimos, finishing with 23 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two tackles for loss in 11 games. He earned third team All-America honors at EWU in 2000 and twice was selected to the All-Big Sky first team. He finished his career with 22 sacks to rank fifth in school history. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

 
Notable Former Pros:

Harrison Nikolao – Offensive Line – 2003-04-05-06
Signed a contract with Cincinnati of the NFL in 2007.

Nikolao played three seasons for the Spokane Shock in the Arena Football League after a short stint with the Philadelphia Soul in AFL. He played for Spokane in 2010 before going on injured reserve on June 24, 2010. The Shock would go on to finish 16-3 and win the AFL title in its first year in that league. In 2009, Nikolao led the Shock to a final record of 19-1 (15-1 in the regular season) and the af2 title. He rushed for 217 yards and 10 touchdowns in 20 games as the team’s fullback and backup lineman. In 2008, he had 19 total tackles with seven sacks as a defensive lineman. He helped Spokane to an 18-2 record in 2008 and an af2 championship game appearance. Signed by Cincinnati after his EWU career concluded, he was released by the Bengals on Sept. 1, 2007. At EWU, he started eight games as a senior offensive guard in 2006 after earning All-Big Sky honors as a defensive lineman his junior season. He started a total of 32 games in his career, including 23 on defense and one start on offense in 2004. He had 80 tackles, 7 1/2 sacks and two passes broken up in his career.

Josh Blankenship – Quarterback – 2002
Signed a contract with Miami of the NFL in 2003.

Blankenship helped the Tulsa Talons to the af2 championship game in 2007. However, a mid-season injury made his contribution minimal after leading Tulsa to victories in its first seven games of the season. Tulsa won the title with a 73-66 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but Blankenship did not play. Blankenship passed for 43 touchdowns in those first seven games before suffering a foot injury (strained arch support). He played in just six games after that. In 13 games, Blankenship completed 54 percent of his passes for 2,365 yards, 54 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Tulsa was 17-2, including three playoff victories. In 2006 while playing for the Stockton Lightning, he threw for 4,052 yards and 82 TDs. He played the 2005 season with Tulsa of af2 after a previous stint on the practice squad of the Austin Wranglers of the AFL. He played in all 16 games in the 2005 season and finished second in the league with 89 touchdown passes to go along with 3,554 yards. He was sixth in efficiency rating (113.3) and 12th in total offense (3,591). He had three 300-yard passing games as Tulsa finished 11-5. A year earlier, he also played for Austin before signing with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL, but was released prior to the start of the 2004 season. He originally signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins, then he was waived in June 2003 just four days after the team signed veteran Brian Griese. A month earlier, Miami’s quarterbacks coach Mike Shula – a Blankenship fan – took the head coaching job at Alabama in the wake of the firing of Mike Price. Injuries in a freak car accident (caused by his dog) ended Blankenship’s playing hopes that season. A transfer from the University of Tulsa, Blankenship concluded his career at Eastern in 2002 by passing for school records of 3,243 yards and 30 touchdowns. He earned honorable-mention All-America honors and was the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and a first-team All-Big Sky selection. He had a hand in all 10 school records the Eagles broke that season, which ended when he passed for 344 yards and four touchdowns in a 30-21 win over unbeaten and top-ranked Montana, snapping UM’s FCS record 24-game winning streak. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Lamont Brightful – Wide Receiver/Returner  – 1998-99-00-01
Drafted in the 6th round (195th overall) by Baltimore in the 2002 NFL Draft.

A return specialist who also played as a pro cornerback, Brightful played sparingly in the 2007 season for Calgary in the CFL after starting the season with the Montreal Alouettes. In Montreal, he was one of four former Eagles on that team – Brightful, Luke Fritz, Dario Romero and Jesse Hendrix. In 2006 in Montreal, he finished with 23 tackles, two interceptions and five knockdowns in 10 games. He also averaged 5.3 yards on 10 punt returns and 21.4 on seven kickoff returns. Prior to joining the Alouettes, he was with the New York Giants after signing a contract on Jan. 7, 2005, but he did not play in any 2005 regular season games. He played in spring/summer 2005 for Frankfurt in NFL Europa and had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown while leading the team in kickoff return average (27.4) and interceptions (four). He played in 30 NFL games from 2002-04, including his first 28 with the Baltimore Ravens and two in the 2004 season with Miami. He returned 68 kickoffs (22.7 average) and 69 punts (9.9 average) in his NFL career with one touchdown. For Baltimore in 2003, he averaged 24.7 yards on 29 kickoff returns and 7.8 on 45 punt returns. As a Baltimore rookie in 2002, he averaged 20.6 yards on 34 kickoff returns. He also returned 15 punts for a team-record 16.1 average that ranked eighth in the NFL and third in the AFC. He had a team-record 95-yard punt return in a 38-27 win against Cincinnati to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He finished with 201 total return yards against the Bengals, including a season-best 54-yard kickoff return. Brightful was the 195th pick overall in the NFL Draft in 2002. While at Eastern, Brightful was a three-time All-American as a return specialist. He set three FCS records, including career kickoff return average (30.0) and career KO return touchdowns (five). He caught 122 passes for 2,061 yards and 20 touchdowns. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Jesse Chatman – Running Back – 1999-00-01
Signed a contract with San Diego of the NFL in 2002. 

After returning to the NFL in a big, yet smaller, way in 2007, Chatman signed a contract with the New York Jets on March 10, 2008. He finished the year with five carries for eight yards and two passes caught for five yards. In his seven-year career, Chatman played in 58 regular season NFL games and rushed for 951 yards (4.5 per carry) and four touchdowns, and caught 39 passes for 281 yards. On special teams, he returned eight kickoffs for an 18.9 average and had 38 total tackles. Although he did not play in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, a full-page spread in the Oct. 1, 2007, issue of Sports Illustrated explained how he lost 60 pounds and worked himself back into the league as a starter for the Miami Dolphins. He finished the season with 515 yards, including a career-best 124 yards on 27 carries on Nov. 11 in a 13-10 loss to Buffalo when he also caught five passes for 25 more yards. He made his first NFL start on Oct. 28 in a 13-10 loss to the New York Giants in the first-ever NFL regular season game at Wembley Stadium in London. He finished with 79 yards on 16 carries (4.9 per carry), and had three catches for 21 yards. Injuries caused him to start gaining weight when he played for the San Diego Chargers in 2004, and subsequently he was released and did not play in 2005 and 2006. He ballooned to a high of 283 pounds before diet and exercise helped him lose the weight. Chatman started working out at all hours, and switched from fried food to oatmeal, spinach and stir-fry. With his weight at 223 pounds, he earned a Miami roster spot in the 2007 preseason when he had a team-leading 116 rushing yards (6.4 per carry) with two touchdowns, and added six receptions for 52 yards. He was listed in the “Who’s Hot” section in the Aug. 20, 2007, issue of Sports Illustrated. Here’s what the magazine had to say about Chatman, who rushed for 4,173 yards and 53 touchdowns from 1999-2001 at Eastern:

Running back Jesse Chatman gained 392 yards (on just 65 carries) for the Chargers in 2004. Then he gained 50 pounds and missed two seasons. Now looking svelte in a Dolphins uni, he broke off a 74-yard TD run last Saturday. Chatman: “I’m not going to take this for granted.”

The Dolphins originally re-signed Chatman on Feb. 21, 2007, and allocated him to NFL Europa, but he did not make it past the final cuts. He spent time in the 2005 season with both the New Orleans Saints and the Dolphins after being released by the San Diego Chargers. Prior to that, he played in 41 regular season NFL games in three seasons with San Diego after impressive performances in the preseason. In 2004, he rushed for 392 yards and scored three touchdowns as an injury replacement to All-Pro LaDainian Tomlinson. He scored his first career touchdown against Tennessee to preserve a 38-17 victory, then he had his first 100-yard game with 103 yards on 11 carries versus Jacksonville. Against Carolina, he replaced Tomlinson in the fourth quarter and had a 52-yard run before scoring on a 5-yard run for the decisive points in a 17-6 win. In the 2003 preseason, his best performance was 114 yards – his first 100-yard performance as a pro – in a home win over San Francisco the night before Eastern played at San Diego State in the same stadium. In 2002, Chatman earned a roster position with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent after leading the NFL in rushing during the preseason with 234 yards on 46 carries and a 5.1 average per carry. While at EWU, Chatman led FCS in rushing as a senior All-American as he finished with 2,096 yards and 28 touchdowns. The Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year broke five BSC records and 19 school marks en route to finishing with 4,173 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top running back in school history.

Luke Fritz – Offensive Line – 1997-98-99-00
Signed a contract with Carolina of the NFL in 2001.

Fritz played nine seasons in the CFL, including his last two playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after seven seasons with the Montreal Alouettes. He capped his career with a prestigious CFL honor. In December 2010, he was the winner of a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh Project grant that will help end child hunger in Manitoba, and was awarded a check in Edmonton, Alberta, during the Grey Cup Weekend. Fritz was among eight CFL players to partner with the Pepsi Refresh Project to come up with “refreshing” ideas to make Canada a better place. The coveted grant will go to Fritz’s charity of choice, Winnipeg Harvest, to support the Hunger for Hope program, which supplies infant formula to thousands of babies in Manitoba who would otherwise go hungry. Over the course of the CFL playoff season as excitement was building toward Grey Cup weekend, the field of eight team players was reduced to four, then two, and eventually Fritz was selected. As a result of his off-the-field efforts, Fritz received EWU’s Tom Oswald Award following the 2010 season. The Tom Oswald Memorial Award was created in 2007 in the memory of former Cheney High School coach Tom Oswald, who succumbed to cancer on Aug. 4, 2006. Recipients are selected by the Eastern coaching staff for following Oswald’s creed of “Doing the Right Thing” for youth. He played in 36 total games in two seasons for the Blue Bombers as both a guard and tackle. He helped the Blue Bombers to a 7-11 record in 2009 and a 4-14 mark in 2010. With Fritz on the roster, Montreal played in five Grey Cups – the Alouettes won in 2002 and lost in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008. He was one of four former Eagles on Montreal’s team in 2007 – Fritz, Lamont Brightful, Dario Romero and Jesse Hendrix. In his seven seasons with Montreal, Fritz played 103 games, including 53 starts. Fritz was drafted by Montreal as the seventh pick in the first round of the 2001 CFL Draft, but he pursued NFL opportunities first before settling in the CFL.  He spent the preseason in 2001 and 2002 with the Carolina Panthers before being released. Fritz also played the 2002 season as a backup guard for the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europa after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2002 allocation draft. He played two games at the end of the 2002 season as the Alouettes won the Grey Cup, then played six full seasons in Montreal. He started all 19 games for the Alouettes at right tackle in 2004 and received a tryout with the New York Jets of the NFL. Fritz helped start the Elite Football Camp in Montreal while he was there. At Eastern, Fritz started 37 games as an Eagle and earned honorable-mention All-America honors in 2000. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. His brother Mitch played in the 2008-09 season for the New York Islanders in the NHL and is now a part of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization.

Bashir Levingston – Return Specialist – 1998
Signed a contract with the NY Giants of the NFL in 1999.

After a stint in the NFL with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins, Levingston spent five full seasons in the CFL. He spent most of his first five seasons with the Toronto Argonauts before becoming a member of the Montreal Alouettes late in the 2007 season. His career included 15 total touchdowns on returns, one CFL Special Teams Player of the Year Award (2003), CFL All-Star accolades (2003) and two East Division All-Star honors (2003, 2004). While at Toronto, he scored a club-record 15 career touchdowns on returns, ranking second in the history of the league. He returned 277 punts for 2,949 yards (10.6 average) and eight touchdowns; 152 kickoffs for 3,454 yards (22.7 average) and three touchdowns; and 23 missed field goals for 818 yards (35.6 average) and four scores. Early in the 2007 season, he returned a missed field goal a CFL-record 129 yards for a touchdown to earn the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week award. He finished the regular season averaging 51.3 yards on three missed field goal returns, 18.6 on kickoff returns and 5.6 on punt returns. In 2006, he returned a punt for a touchdown and had an 11.3 average per punt return and 19.7 average per kickoff return. He also scored on a 50-yard reception – his only catch of the season. In 2005, he scored twice, with averages of 20.4 on kickoff returns, 10.2 on punt returns with a TD and 34.3 and a TD on seven missed field goal returns. In 2004, he returned five kicks for touchdowns (two punts, two missed field goals and a kickoff) en route to helping Toronto win the Grey Cup. A year earlier, he finished the 2003 season by winning the league’s John Agro Special Teams Player of the Year Award. He returned a league-record five kicks for scores, including CFL record-tying marks of two kickoff returns for touchdowns and three punt returns for scores. He led the league in punt return yards and average (811, 13.5 average), as well as kickoff return yards (881, 30.0 average). Three times during the season, he earned CFL Special Teams Player of the Week accolades, including once after a losing effort in the semifinals of the CFL Playoffs. At Toronto in 2002, he had 19 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble on defense in 11 games. He returned 13 kickoffs for 309 yards (23.8 average) and 33 punts for 570 yards (17.3 average) with two touchdowns. He sparked a 24-14 playoff win over Saskatchewan by returning a lateral on a punt return 76 yards for a touchdown to earn CFL Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He also played sparingly for Toronto in 2001 after being released by Edmonton. He attended mini-camps with the Miami Dolphins in 2003, but he was released prior to training camp. Previously, he played for the New York Giants from 1999-2000 as a return specialist and cornerback. He was mainly a special teams player as a Giants rookie in 1999, finishing with 14 tackles, two passes defensed and one interception he returned 34 yards. He also ranked eighth in the NFL with a 24.2 average in 22 kickoff returns with a long of 35. In 2000, he missed the first eight games with an ankle injury, then played in three games. He finished the season with three tackles and a 21.9 average on seven kickoff returns. Levingston spent the spring of 2000 playing for the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europa. He led the league in punt returns and kickoff returns while ranking third in interceptions with three, including a 45-yard return for a touchdown. He averaged 13.3 yards in 20 punt returns with a long of 49, and averaged 28.1 yards in 15 kickoff returns with an 89-yard touchdown. He also had 23 tackles and a team-high 10 passes broken up. Levingston played just one season at Eastern in 1998 after transferring from Utah State, but he set or tied 34 school, Big Sky and FCS records. He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game against Sacramento State to help break most of the records and also scored on two punt returns. Including receiving and rushing, he averaged 25.0 yards every time he touched the ball, and scored every 5.3 times he touched the ball (12 total touchdowns). He was a first-team All-America return specialist and Football Gazette’s Specialist of the Year. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Jeff Ogden – Wide Receiver – 1995-96-97
Signed a contract with Dallas of the NFL in 1998.

Spending his college and professional career defying the odds, Ogden played five seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys (1998 and 1999), Miami Dolphins (2000 and 2001) and Baltimore Ravens (2002) as a wide receiver and return specialist. In five NFL seasons, he played in 67 games – including 64 of a possible 64 games in his first four years in the league with 28 catches for 304 yards (10.9 average) and one touchdown. He concluded his career in 2002 by playing in three games for the Ravens and had two punt returns for 21 yards. However, in the previous four seasons, he played in all 16 games each year. In 2001, he caught six passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, and also returned 32 punts for 377 yards (11.8 average). In 2000, he had two catches for 24 yards, and returned 19 punts for a 17.0 average per return with an 81-yard return for a touchdown. Had he met the minimum to be ranked, he would have led the NFL in average per return. In 1999, he played in all 16 games for the Cowboys and finished with 12 catches for 144 yards and returned 12 kickoffs for a 21.0 average and four punts for a 7.0 average. As a rookie at Dallas in 1998, Ogden earned a spot on the team’s 53-man roster after catching seven passes for 126 yards in the preseason. He played in all 16 regular season games, finishing with eight catches for 63 yards, one rush for 12 yards and three kickoff returns for a 21.7 average. He also had 10 special teams tackles. He had his best day as a rookie against Seattle when he caught four passes for 26 yards, rushed once for 12 yards and had a tackle on special teams. He spent the spring/summer of 2000 leading the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa to the regular season championship (7-3 record) and the championship in the World Bowl. He ranked third in the league in receiving with 44 catches for 635 yards and seven touchdowns, and earned three player of the week awards before missing the last two weeks of the season with an injury. Ogden came to Eastern as a walk-on who previously competed in track and field at Clackamas Community
College in Oregon. By the time he was a senior in 1997, he developed into a second-team All-America receiver and first-team Academic All-American. He caught 57 passes in 1997 for school records of 1,148 yards and 13 touchdowns as Eastern enjoyed its greatest season ever with a 12-2 record. The Eagles won the Big Sky Conference title and advanced to the FCS “Final Four.” Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top wide receiver in school history.

Tom Ackerman – Offensive Guard – 1992-93-94-95
Drafted in the 5th round (145th overall) by New Orleans in the 1996 NFL Draft.

Ackerman played eight seasons in the NFL, including the first six with the New Orleans Saints and the 2002 and 2003 seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He played in 105 career games, including 21 as a starter. Mainly used as a special teams player his first two seasons in the NFL, he appeared in 14 games in 1997 after playing in two games as a rookie in 1996. He started at center in 10 of the 15 games he played in 1998, and in 1999, he played in eight games as a starter and eight as a reserve. Following the 1999 season, he signed a four-year, $6.89 million contract to remain with the New Orleans Saints, then played as a backup in 15 games in 2000 and 16 in 2001 before leaving the team. He was signed by the Oakland Raiders on May 22, 2002, but was released and signed with Tennessee. In 2002, he played in 11 games and started three for the Titans, who advanced to the AFC Championship Game and finished the season 12-6. In 2003, he played in 16 games as a backup. Ackerman was the 145th pick overall in the 1996 NFL Draft and was the first offensive lineman in Washington and the Big Sky Conference to be taken. He was a third team All-American at EWU following his senior season in 1995. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Jackie Kellogg – Defensive Back – 1990-91-92-93
Signed a contract with San Francisco of the NFL in 1994.

Kellogg played in four different professional leagues during his nearly decade long career, including a highly-successful eight seasons from 1995-2002 in the CFL. He played 6 1/2 years with the Calgary Stampeders and the last 1 1/2 years of his career with the Edmonton Eskimos. He helped the Stampeders win the 1998 Grey Cup and played in 14 playoff games, including four Grey Cups (1995, 1998, 1999 and 2002). In his career (including playoffs), he played in 117 games and had 301 tackles, 18 pass knock downs, eight sacks and 28 interceptions for 507 yards in returns (18.1 average) with six touchdowns. He equaled his career-high with 55 tackles in 20 games in 2002, and in 1998 and 1999, he was selected to the West Division All-CFL team. In 1998, he ranked second in the CFL with eight interceptions for 72 yards and a touchdown. He also had 55 tackles in a total of 20 games as Calgary beat Hamilton 26-24 to win the CFL championship. In 1999, Calgary lost 32-21 to Hamilton in the Grey Cup as Kellogg earned CFL Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the playoff semifinals (the third POW award in his career). In a total of 20 games, he had six interceptions for 90 yards in returns and 49 total tackles. His other career highlights include the 2000 season, when he had 31 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks. Two of the interceptions were returned for touchdowns in 2000 – including a 110-yard return – and twice he was honored as CFL Defensive Player of the Week. In 1997, he joined the team in week 17 and played in just three total games. But he was selected as the CFL defensive player of the week in week 18 when he had four tackles, three pass knock downs and a blocked punt. He joined the Stampeders late in 1995 after being released by San Francisco in the NFL in the team’s final cuts just prior to the start of the 1995 regular season. He had the same fate with the 49ers as a rookie in 1994. In 1995 and 1997, he played for the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League. In 1997, he finished the year with 34 tackles, 10 passes defensed, two interceptions and an 18.9 kickoff return average. In 1995, he intercepted three passes in the team’s first game and finished second in the league with a total of seven. He also had 50 tackles, 14 passes defensed and two blocked kicks. In addition, after leading Calgary to the CFL playoffs in 2000, he joined Memphis of the ill-fated XFL in 2001. He had one interception for the Maniax. At Eastern, Kellogg helped lead the Eagles to the 1992 Big Sky Conference championship and a berth in the FCS Playoffs. He finished his career with 41 passes broken up, 17 interceptions and 222 tackles, and earned first-team All-Big Sky honors as a junior and senior. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Kurt Schulz – Defensive Back – 1988-89-90-91
Drafted in the 7th round (195th pick overall) by Buffalo in the 1992 NFL Draft.

Schulz played in his 10th NFL season in 2001, including his final two seasons with the Detroit Lions. In his 129-game career – 93 as a starter – he had 671 tackles, 30 interceptions, 80 passes defensed, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. In 2001, he played in 11 games (starting 10), and had 79 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defensed. In his first season with the Lions in 2000, he started all 11 of the games he played before an ankle sprain ended his season. An alternate for the 2001 Pro Bowl, he finished with 68 total tackles, 10 passes defensed and a career-high seven interceptions to rank third in both the NFL and NFC. He intercepted Green Bay’s Brett Favre to seal a 31-24 victory over Green Bay, and he had three interceptions in a 21-14 win at Chicago to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. On Feb. 18, 2000, Schulz signed a five-year, $10 million contract with the Lions. Prior to that, his entire eight-year career was spent with the Buffalo Bills, where he started all 70 games he played in his final five years there. He started all 16 games in 1999, finishing with 98 tackles, three interceptions and 13 passes defensed. He finished the 1998 season with six interceptions to rank eighth in the NFL and fifth in the AFC. In 1997, he finished with a career-high 107 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed after a 1996 campaign that saw him finish with 102 tackles, four interceptions and a career-high 16 passes defensed. In 1995, he was a UPI second-team All-AFC selection after ranking second in the AFC with six interceptions to go along with 90 tackles and 15 passes defensed. His first career interception came against Carolina in 1995 when he returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. He also had a game-saving interception in the end zone with 52 seconds left against Atlanta in 1995 and was awarded a game ball for his efforts. He had multi-interception games against Cincinnati in 1996 and versus St. Louis in 1998. He had a career-high 12 tackles against St. Louis in 1995. Schulz played in his first Super Bowl in January 1994 when the Bills lost to Dallas. He made a touchdown-saving tackle on the game’s opening kickoff after playing most of the 1993 season with a calf injury suffered in the preseason. He played in eight regular season games for Buffalo in 1992, becoming only the sixth Bills rookie since 1988 to start when he made his only start of the season against San Francisco. Schulz earned third team All-America honors as a sophomore at Eastern when he also earned first-team All-Big Sky accolades He was a second-team All-Big Sky choice as a junior and senior. He finished his EWU career with 224 tackles, 17 interceptions, a school-record 219 interception return yards and 28 passes broken up. He was a second-team Academic All-American in 1991, and in 1997 was selected to the Academic All-America All-Time Team. He was inducted in 1998 into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top defensive back in school history (along with Isaiah Trufant).

Kevin Sargent  – Offensive Tackle – 1988-89-90-91
Signed a contract with Cincinnati in 1992.

Sargent was a veteran of seven NFL seasons, although he missed the entire 1996 regular season with a herniated disc in his neck. He started 63 of 73 career games, including all 16 games in 1998. He also started 15 games in both the 1995 and 1994 seasons and eight in 1997. In 1997, he had no missed assignments in 604 plays, and in his first start of the year on Nov. 2, he had the key block on a 71-yard touchdown run by Corey Dillon. One month later against Tennessee, he was awarded an offensive game ball for helping Dillon rush for an NFL rookie record 246 yards. In 1995, the offensive line set a franchise record by allowing just 1.56 sacks per game. Sargent had only one missed assignment in 852 total snaps. Until he suffered an ankle sprain, he had played every down for the Bengals at left tackle in the first 12 games. Sargent began the 1993 season as the starter at left tackle in place of 11-time Pro Bowler Anthony Munoz, but broke his arm on the second play of the season and missed most of the year. He played in 16 games as a rookie, eight as a starter. He was inducted in 2008 into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

Ed Simmons  – Offensive Tackle – 1983-84-85-86
Drafted in the 6th round (164th pick overall) by Washington in 1987.

He retired in 1998 from the St. Louis Rams after playing 11 seasons at right tackle for the Washington Redskins. Simmons, who played for the 1992 Super Bowl Champions, started 104 games during that span. In 1995, he was selected to the Sports Illustrated All-NFC East team and played 1,039 of a possible 1,042 downs. His debut as a rookie was against Philadelphia’s Reggie White. He was an inaugural inductee in 1996 into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008.

 
Other Former Pros:

Bert Anderson – Fullback – 1934-35-36-37 . . . Was drafted or signed by the Washington Redskins in 1938, but a torn wrist muscle during the pre-season ended his career. Herm Pein – Linebacker – 1946-47-48-49 . . . Signed out of college with the New York Yanks of the NFL, but the Korean War delayed Pein’s pro football career. In 1953 he made it to the final cuts of the San Francisco 49ers before playing a short time for British Columbia in the CFL. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Dick Nearents – Tackle – 1956-57-68 . . . Drafted in the 18th round (205th pick overall) by Green Bay in 1959. Mick Landmark – Guard – 1964-65-66 . . . He played in the CFL for parts of two years, but spent most of his time in the Continental Football League playing for the Norfolk Neptunes. He played in the league until it folded after the 1969 season. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Barry Randall – Guard – 1965-66 . . . He started for 11 years from 1967-77 for Montreal in the CFL, helping the Alouettes win the Grey Cup in 1970, 1974 and 1977. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Dave Svendsen – Wide Receiver – 1966-67-68 . . . Drafted in 11th round (281st pick overall) by Los Angeles in 1969. He was inducted in 2001 into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Bob Picard – Wide Receiver – 1968-69-71-72 . . . Drafted in 6th round (132nd pick overall) by Philadelphia in 1973. He was inducted into the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Scott Garske – Tight End – 1971-72-73 . . . Drafted in the 7th round (179th pick overall) by Pittsburgh in 1974. After preseason performances that saw him play as a tight end, kicker and punter for the Steelers, he broke his ankle. The slow-healing and painful hairline fracture in his heel would essentially end his playing career. As luck would have it, Randy Grossman, an undrafted free agent the Steelers signed that same season, made the team and ended up playing on four Super Bowl championship teams. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Jeff Metter – Linebacker – 1982-83 . . . Signed a contract with San Francisco in 1984. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Rick Worman – Quarterback – 1984-85 . . . Worman played in the CFL for Calgary and Edmonton for five seasons before playing in Saskatchewan in 1991. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Mark Gehring – Tight End – 1984-85 . . . Signed a contract with San Francisco in 1986, and on two occasions, was kept on the active roster until the team’s final cuts. Also signed a contract with the Houston Oilers. Craig Richardson – Wide Receiver – 1983-84-85-86 . . . Drafted in the 11th round (298th pick overall) by Kansas City in 1987. He was traded to Los Angeles where he played two seasons. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Mike Kingston – Def. Tackle – 1983-84-85-86 . . .Signed a contract with the New York Jets in 1987. Eric Riley – Tight End – 1983-84-85-86 . . . Signed contracts with the Jets, New England and Green Bay. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top tight end in school history. Bill Altena – Linebacker – 1983-84-85-86 . . . Signed a contract with St. Louis in 1987. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Eric Stein – Kicker – 1984-85-86-87 . . . Signed a contract with Seattle in 1988. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top kicker/punter  in school history. Jamie Townsend – Running Back – 1984-85-86-88 . . . Played in 1989 for Calgary of the CFL. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Jeff Mickel – Off. Tackle – 1985-86-87-88 . . . Drafted in the 6th round (163rd pick overall) by Minnesota in 1989. He also spent time in training camps and/or on developmental rosters with Kansas City, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit. He played for Barcelona in the World League of American Football in 1991 and for Frankfurt in 1992. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Brendan Rogers – Linebacker – 1990 . . . Drafted in the 4th round by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL in 1991. The native of Vancouver, B.C., played in four games with Saskatchewan in 1999 after spending three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. He spent his first five seasons as a pro at Winnipeg. In nine seasons (134 games including nine playoff games and three Grey Cups), he registered 203 total tackles with a pair of interceptions. In 1997, Rogers had 20 total tackles, plus had two forced fumbles in Toronto’s 37-30 playoff victory over Montreal. Toronto beat Saskatchewan in the Grey Cup as Toronto finished 17-3. On Sept. 23, 1994, Rogers broke a CFL record with eight special teams tackles against British Columbia. In 1993, he led the CFL in special teams tackles with 36. He was on the losing end of  two Grey Cup games with Edmonton and missed the 1996 game with an injury, so he earned his first title ring in 1997. He and his wife Karyn founded the annual CFL All-Star Hockey Classic  tournament that raises funds for the Portage Plain United Way and the Variety Club of Manitoba. Gary Needham – Off. Guard – 1989-90 . . . Signed a contract with Seattle in 1992. Signed another contract with Miami in the spring of 1995. Tony Lenseigne – Tight End – 1988-89-90-91 . . . Signed contracts with San Diego, Minnesota and Seattle in his first three seasons as a pro, but did not play in the regular season. He played in the spring of 1995 for the Rhein Fire of the World League of American Football, catching two passes. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Tom Owens – Wide Receiver – 1989-90-91 . . . Signed a contract with Winnipeg of the CFL in 1992. Tommy Williams – Def. End – 1991-92 . . . Signed a contract with Winnipeg of the CFL in 1993. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Trent Pollard – Offensive Tackle – 1990-91-92-93 . . . Drafted in the fifth round (132nd pick overall) by Cincinnati in 1994. He was on the preseason roster of the St. Louis Rams in 1997 and 1998, but did not make the team. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Tony Brooks – Wide Receiver – 1990-91-92-93 . . . Signed a contract with Winnipeg of the CFL in 1994. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Jason Marsh – Linebacker – 1991-92-93 . . . Signed a contract with the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League in 1995. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Jason Anderson – Wide Receiver – 1991-92-93-94 . . . Signed a contract with Buffalo of the NFL in 1995, then signed a contract in 1996 with British Columbia of the CFL. Troy Alexander – Defensive Tackle – 1991-92-93-94 . . . Drafted in the first round by Saskatchewan as the second pick overall in the 1995 CFL Draft. An injury limited his playing time in 1998 with British Columbia after his first three seasons were spent in Saskatchewan playing for the Roughriders. He had his finest season in 1997 with 38 total tackles including 10 quarterback sacks. He played in the Grey Cup, but Saskatchewan lost to Toronto. A backup at defensive tackle in 1996, he finished the season with 14 total tackles including a sack. He played in 17 games as a rookie in 1995, including 12 as a starter at nose tackle. He finished with 22 tackles. Alexander is a native of Edmonton, Alberta. Derek Strey – Linebacker – 1993-95-96-97 . . . Signed a contract with Jacksonville of the NFL in 1998. After being released by Jacksonville in 1998, the Seattle Seahawks signed Strey as a practice squad player. He participated in the 1999 training camp in Cheney before being cut. Interestingly, Strey worked for the Seahawks at their  preseason training camp in Cheney in 1997. Strey spent the spring and summer of 1999 as a starting linebacker in NFL Europa for the Frankfurt Galaxy, which advanced to the World Bowl. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Jim Buzzard – Offensive Lineman – 1995-96-97 . . . Signed a contract with San Diego of the NFL in 1998. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Griffin Garske – Quarterback – 1996-97-98 . . . Played semi-pro football in Europe. David Andres – Offensive Lineman – 1996-97-98 . . . Signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL in 1999. Mike MacKenzie – Running Back – 1995-96-97-98 . . . Drafted in the 5th round by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL in 1999. T.J. Ackerman – Offensive Lineman – 1995-96-97-98 . . . Signed a contract with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 1999. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Dion Alexander – Linebacker – 1992-93-94-95; Romaine Smith – Wide Receiver – 1998-99-00; Ole Olesen – Cornerback – 1997-98-99-00; and Lance Ballew – Tight End – 1997-98-99-00 . . . All four played for the Yakima, Wash., Shockwave in the National Indoor Football League in the spring/summer of 2001. Eastern selected Alexander to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Harry Leons – Quarterback – 1995-96-97 . . . Signed a contract with the Portland Forest Dragons of the AFL in 1999. Leons spent three seasons from 2000-02 on the roster of the Los Angeles Avengers of the AFL, spending most of it as the team’s third-string quarterback. In his career, including the 1999 season with the Portland Forest Dragons, he completed 14-of-23 passes for 61 percent, 192 yards and two touchdowns. In 2001, he started once and completed 4-of-7 passes for 46 yards. He was acquired by the Avengers as the 25th pick in the AFL expansion draft in 2000. The previous season he played — mostly in the preseason — for the Portland Forest Dragons. He completed 10-of-16 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. Julian Williams – Defensive Back – 1997-98-99-00 . . . Signed a contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL in 2002. Anthony Griffin – Linebacker – 1998-99-00-01 . . . Signed a contract with the Chicago Crush of the AFL in 2003. He joined four other former Eagles in 2006 to lead the Spokane Shock in af2 to a 17-2 record and the af2 title in Spokane’s inaugural season in the league. He finished the season with 41 total tackles and five passes broken up, but missed the playoffs because of an injury. Chris Polinder – Offensive Line – 1998-99-00-01 . . . Signed a contract with the Detroit Fury in the AFL in 2002 and spent the year as a starting center and long snapper. He then joined the Colorado Rush of the AFL for the 2003 season. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008. David Sherrod – Offensive Line – 2000-01 . . . Signed a contract with the Chicago Bears of the NFL in 2002 and Miami in 2003. Sherrod was on the 2005 roster of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, where he was listed as a 355-pound tackle. He played in spring/summer 2003 for the Barcelona Dragons, having been allocated to NFL Europa after signing a contract with the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 10, 2003. He has had stints with the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders after concluding his collegiate career in 2001. He was originally going to sign with the Raiders, but a shoulder injury caused him to fail the team’s physical. He then signed with the Bears, but was released at the end of their 2002 training camp. Brandon Moore – Defensive Line – 1999-00-01-02 . . . Signed a contract with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in 2003. For a short time, he was on the roster of the Spokane Shock in af2. Dan Curley – Tight End – 1998-99-00-02 . . . Curley last played for the Carolina Panthers after signing a contract on Jan. 4, 2005. He was released on Sept. 3 just before the 2005 season began. He was allocated to NFL Europa to play for the Cologne Centurions in 2005, but suffered a leg injury before the season began. A year earlier, he was signed by the New Orleans Saints in the NFL, then was released prior to the start of the regular season. Originally a fifth-round draft choice (148th pick overall) by St. Louis in 2003, he played one regular season game with the Rams in the 2003 season. At Eastern, Curley concluded an injury-plagued career by earning honorable-mention All-America and first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors as a senior in 2002. He played in just 28 of a possible 44 games in his career, starting in 21 of them. He caught 58 career passes for 721 yards and seven touchdowns. Kurt Sigler – Offensive Line – 2000-01-02-03 . . . Signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills of the NFL in 2004. He joined four other former Eagles in 2006 to lead the Spokane Shock in af2 to a 17-2 record and the af2 title in Spokane’s inaugural season in the league. Sigler closed his college career by being selected to four post-season all-star games (he played in two) after twice being chosen to the All-Big Sky Conference second team. Jesse Nicassio – Punter – 2003-04 . . . Signed a contract with the St. Louis Rams of the NFL in 2004 but was released. He was picked-up by Indianapolis but was released by the Colts on Sept. 1, 2004. He has since developed and marketed a punting and kicking training device called the “EZ Kicker.” Nicassio set EWU school records for career average per punt (42.3) and season average per punt (44.4). Brandon Myers – Defensive Line – 2002-02-03-04 . . . He was on the roster for the Everett Hawks of af2 in 2005. Reggie Witherspoon – Running Back – 2001-02-03-04 . . . Witherspoon signed a contract with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL in 2007 but was released. Joey Cwik – Fullback/Linebacker – 2002-03-04-05 . . . Cwik attended mini-camp as a fullback with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL in 2006, then decided to quit football shortly after signing with the New Orleans Saints. Now in medical school, he finished with 331 tackles in his 47-game EWU career (40 as a starter) to rank fourth in school history. He never missed a game in his Eastern career, never redshirted and ended his career with 39-straight starts. Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top linebacker in school history. Craig McIntyre – Wide Receiver – 2003-04-05 . . . McIntyre played two seasons for the Parma Panthers, a member of the NFL Italy (NFLI). In one of the games he played in 2006 he scored on a 100-yard return. The team was made famous by the book “Playing for Pizza” written by John Grisham. McIntyre served as a source for the fictional book. Eric Kimble – Wide Receiver – 2002-03-04-05 . . . Kimble signed a contract with Miami of the NFL in 2006, but his pro career never got off the ground. He attended mini-camp in spring 2006 for the Dolphins, but had to undergo surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. The Dolphins released him on March 1, 2007, and he had to sit out for two years while rehabilitating the foot injury. He eventually signed to play the 2008 season for British Columbia in the CFL, but he didn’t play in any regular season games. Kimble broke nine EWU career records and four single season marks, including the season receptions record with 87. Kimble finished with 46 career touchdown receptions to rank second in FCS history behind the 50 of legendary Jerry Rice from Mississippi Valley (1981-84). Kimble broke the Big Sky Conference career reception yards record, with a total of 4,140 yards that ranks fourth in FCS history. His 253 catches ranked eighth all-time in FCS (second in Big Sky history). Eastern selected him to its “100 for 100” All-Time Team in 2008 and a public vote selected him as the top all-purpose player in school history. Jesse Hendrix – Cornerback – 2002-03-04-05 . . . Signed a contract with the B.C. Lions of the CFL in 2006. Hendrix played the 2007 and 2008 seasons with the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL, joining former Eagles Luke Fritz and Bashir Levingston on the 2008 team. He had two tackles and a pass broken up in 2008 after finishing the 2007 season with 13 tackles in 13 games. In 2006, he attended CFL training camp with the B.C. Lions but did not make the squad. He eventually signed with the Spokane Shock of af2 for the 2006 season. He joined four other former Eagles to lead the team to a 17-2 record and the af2 title in Spokane’s inaugural season in the league. Hendrix had a school-record 41 career passes broken up at EWU, finishing with 14 as a senior to rank second on the single season list. Hendrix had five interceptions and 154 tackles in his career. His career total of 46 passes defensed (including five interceptions) ranked second in FCS history. He played 47 of a possible 47 games. Brett Bergstrom – Kicker – 2005-06 . . . Bergstrom si­gned a contract with New Orleans of the NFL in 2007 but was released. In his only season as EWU’s placekicker, Bergstrom had a school-record 15 field goals in 2006 with three of at least 50 yards. His field goals included three of the nine longest in school history with efforts of 56, 53 and 52 yards. Brandon Keeler – Defensive Back – 2002-04-05-06 . . . . Keeler joined the Spokane Shock in af2 for the 2008 season but was released before the season started. He had a heart-breaking end to his first NFL training camp after signing a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals in 2007. He remained on the roster up until the final day of training camp before he was released. At EWU, three times he earned All-Big Sky Conference honors – first team as a sophomore, second team as a junior and honorable mention as a senior. He finished his 43-game career – including 34 as a starter – with 243 tackles to rank 10th in school history. He had five interceptions and seven passes broken up. Bryan Jarrett – Defensive Back – 2005-06-07 . . . Jarrett signed a free agent contract with the Spokane Shock on June 12, 2008, but didn’t play in any games. After transferring from Western Washington University, Jarrett played three seasons as a safety for the Eagles. As a senior in 2007 when Eastern finished 9-4 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs, he was second on the team with 91 tackles and had two interceptions and seven passes broken up. He was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2005 and earned second-team accolades as a senior. Ryan Kelley – Defensive Back – 2007-08 . . . Kelley signed a contract with the Tri-Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League in 2009 and was on the roster early in the season. He signed again for the 2010 season with Tri-Cities, then signed to play the 2011 season for the Wenatchee Valley Venom of the IFL, but was released before the season began. He finished his 23-game Eastern career with 112 tackles, five interceptions and 12 passes broken up.