2023-10-10 18:03:46
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NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt’s four alumni kickers were a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal attempts and 8-for-8 on extra point tries in Week 5 of the 2023 National Football League (NFL) season.
None of those kicks was bigger than Georgia Southern alumnus Younghoe Koo’s 37-yarder as time expired to lift the Atlanta Falcons to a 21-19 win over the Houston Texans. Arkansas State product Blake Grupe matched his career-long with a 54-yard field goal and also added a 53-yarder for the New Orleans Saints. Wil Lutz of the Denver Broncos via Georgia State hit kicks of 23 and 22 yards, while Tyler Bass of the Buffalo Bills via Georgia Southern maintained his unblemished season thus far—going 2-for-2 on point-following attempts.
On the defensive side of the ball, Sun Belt alumni registered six multi-tackle outings, led by a six-tackle and one pass defended effort from Arkansas State alum Demario Davis of the New Orleans Saints. The other key performances came from Tracy Walker III (Louisiana, Detroit Lions) with four tackles, Chandon Sullivan (Georgia State, Pittsburgh Steelers) with two tackles and a forced fumble, D’Marco Jackson (App State, New Orleans Saints) with two tackles, Percy Butler (Louisiana, Washington Commanders) with two tackles and Tre Hawkins III (Old Dominion, New York Giants) with two tackles.
Two former Georgia Southern Eagles running backs carded 20-or-more yard days offensively. Jerick McKinnon compiled 25 yards (18 receiving, 7 rushing) for the Kansas City Chiefs and Matt Breida accumulated 24 yards for the New York Giants (21 rushing, 3 receiving).
Sam Martin of the Buffalo Bills via App State had a season-high six punts for 258 yards.
Eighty-seven Sun Belt alumni earned NFL roster spots entering the 2023 season, with 50 on active rosters, 21 on practice squads and 9 on injured or other reserve lists in Week 5. Thirty-six saw game action, with 16 earning a start.
For the second-straight week, ULM alumnus Derrick Gore was elevated from the Washington Commanders practice squad and appeared in the team’s game.
Sun Belt football alumni dot 29-of-32 NFL rosters.
App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals (DNP)
* Darrynton Evans – RB, Miami Dolphins
Nick Hampton – LB, Los Angeles Rams (DNP)
* Tae Hayes – CB, New York Jets
^ Cooper Hodges – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
D’Marco Jackson – LB, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 2 Tackles)
Shemar Jean-Charles – CB, San Francisco 49ers (DNP)
^ Shaun Jolly – DB, Los Angeles Rams
Kendall Lamm – OL, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 GS)
Sam Martin – P, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Punts, 258 Yards)
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G)
* Henry Pearson – FB, Green Bay Packers
^ Jalen Virgil – WR, Denver Broncos
Arkansas State
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Blake Grupe – K, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 4-for-4 XP)
Coastal Carolina
* Lance Boykin – CB, Seattle Seahawks
* C.J. Brewer – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Jerrod Clark – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
* Jeff Gunter – DL, Cincinnati Bengals
* Tarron Jackson – DL, Philadelphia Eagles
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G)
Georgia Southern
Darrell Baker Jr. – CB, Indianapolis Colts (1 G)
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 XP)
Matt Breida – RB, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 9 Rushes, 21 Yards, 1 Reception, 3 Yards)
* Raymond Johnson III – DL, Detroit Lions
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
Jerick McKinnon – RB, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G, 2 Receptions, 18 Yards, 1 Rush, 7 Yards)
Najee Thompson – CB, Minnesota Vikings (1 G)
Kindle Vildor – CB, Tennessee Titans (1 G)
Georgia State
^ Penny Hart – WR, Atlanta Falcons
Wil Lutz – K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
Chandon Sullivan – CB, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 G, 2 Tackles, 1 Forced Fumble)
James Madison
* Ben DiNucci – QB, Denver Broncos
Mike Greene – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Bye Week)
Dean Marlowe – S, Los Angeles Chargers (Bye Week)
Aaron Stinnie – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Bye Week)
Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Tackles)
Kevin Dotson – OL, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS)
* Eric Garror – DB, Tennessee Titans
Robert Hunt – OL, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 GS)
Andre Jones Jr. – DL, Washington Commanders (1 G)
Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers (DNP)
Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets (1 G)
^ John Stephens Jr. – WR, Dallas Cowboys
Tracy Walker III – S, Detroit Lions (1 G, 1 GS, 4 Tackles)
ULM
Derrick Gore – RB, Washington Commanders (1 G)
* Josh Pederson – TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
* Ty Shelby – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
Marshall
^ Josh Ball – OL, Dallas Cowboys
Steven Gilmore – CB, Detroit Lions (DNP)
Neville Hewitt – LB, Houston Texans (1 G)
^ Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs
Old Dominion
Tre Hawkins III – CB, New York Giants (1 G, 2 Tackles)
* Marcus Haynes – LB, Denver Broncos
Taylor Heinicke – QB, Atlanta Falcons (DNP)
* Zack Kuntz – TE, New York Jets
Rick Lovato – LS, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 GS)
Zach Pascal – WR, Arizona Cardinals (1 G)
Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints (1 G)
Stone Smartt – TE, Los Angeles Chargers (Bye Week)
* Oshane Ximines – LB, New York Giants
South Alabama
Gerald Everett – TE, Los Angeles Chargers (Bye Week)
^ Darrell Luter Jr. – CB, San Francisco 49ers
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 Tackle)
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys (1 G, 1 GS)
* Corliss Waitman – P, New England Patriots
Southern Miss
* Natrone Brooks – CB, Atlanta Falcons
Jason Brownlee – WR, New York Jets (DNP)
* TyKeem Doss – OL, Baltimore Ravens
Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G)
Nick Mullens – QB, Minnesota Vikings (DNP)
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, New York Giants (1 G)
Eric Scott Jr. – CB, Dallas Cowboys (DNP)
Quez Watkins – WR, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G, 1 GS, 2 Receptions, 4 Yards)
Texas State
* Levi Bell – DL, Seattle Seahawks
Aaron Brewer – OL, Tennessee Titans (1 G, 1 GS)
David Mayo – LB, Washington Commanders (1 G)
* Ty Nsekhe – OL, Cleveland Browns
Troy
Jake Andrews – OL, New England Patriots (1 G)
^ Shakel Brown – DL, Tennessee Titans
* Practice Squad
^ Injured & Other Reserve
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