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The year 2020 has been nothing short of abnormal, but there is a bit of Deja vu in regards to former Eastern Washington University football players finding a spot on rosters of National Football League teams.
 
The same six former Eagles are on rosters in 2020 as the NFL regular season begins this week, including a trio of players with the Los Angeles Rams. Wide receiver/kick returner Nsimba Webster enters his second season as a pro after making the 53-man roster for the Rams, joining former Eagles and NFL veterans Cooper Kupp (wide receiver) and Samson Ebukam (outside linebacker).
 
Also again making NFL teams were San Francisco's Kendrick Bourne (wide receiver), who made history a year ago by becoming the first former Eagle to catch a pass in the Super Bowl. Like Kupp and Ebukam, Bourne enters his fourth season in the NFL. He was just the fourth Eagle to ever play in a Super Bowl.
 
The fifth active player is Taiwan Jones (running back), who is back with the Buffalo Bills after playing one year for Houston. Jones enters his 10th season in the league – the first six with the Oakland Raiders, two with Buffalo and 2019 for the Texans.
 
The sixth player is Jake Rodgers (offensive lineman), who will begin his sixth season in the NFL as a practice squad player for Denver. He also started the 2019 season on the practice squad for the Broncos, but ended up playing 14 regular season games. Denver is the seventh different team he has played for since last playing for EWU in the 2014 season. He has had two stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and has also been a part of the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons organizations.
 
Eastern's five active players equals the sixth-most in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, ranking only behind James Madison (7), Delaware (6), Harvard (6), North Dakota State (6) and South Carolina State (6). Eastern has 28 percent of the 18 NFL players from the Big Sky Conference. The other members of the league with players on 53-man rosters include Idaho (2), Portland State (2), Sacramento State (2), Southern Utah (2), Montana State (1), Weber State (1), Cal Poly (1), Northern Colorado (1) and Idaho State (1).
 
A total of 141 players from FCS schools are part of the 32 opening-day rosters for the NFL's 101st season, which kicks off Sept. 10. Add in 66 players currently signed to practice squads (which go through frequent changes) and the FCS haul in the NFL is 208. Last year the total was 210.
 
Although the 2020 Canadian Football League season was canceled, Eastern also has seven former Eagles currently on CFL rosters. They included quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell (Calgary), Matt Nichols (Toronto) and Vernon Adams Jr. (Montreal). Defensive backs T.J. Lee III and Victor Gamboa both play for British Columbia, defensive back Mitch Fettig is in Calgary and defensive back Josh Lewis is with Hamilton.
 
 

Eagles in the Pros

 
Since 1984, when Eastern became a member of the NCAA Championship Subdivision (FCS), 90 Eastern football players have either signed free agent contracts or have been drafted by National Football League (NFL) or Canadian Football League (CFL) teams. Eleven have been drafted by the NFL and five drafted by the CFL to go along with four NFL draftees between 1965-74. Eastern has also enjoyed a recent influx of players into other existing or now-defunct leagues. They include Arena Football League (AFL) and arenafootball2 (af2), as well as in the United Football League (UFL) and Indoor Football League (IFL). Prior to that, several played in the World League, which became NFL Europa before it folded. The list below shows EWU's current professionals (within the last two seasons) and the team they are currently with.
 
Professionals in 2020 (most recent team listed)
Los Angeles Rams (NFL) – Nsimba Webster – Wide Rec. – EWU Letterwinner in 2015-16-17-18
***Denver Broncos (NFL) – Jay-Tee Tiuli – Defensive Line – 2014-15-16-18
Los Angeles Rams (NFL) – Cooper Kupp – Wide Receiver – 2013-14-15-16
Los Angeles Rams (NFL) – Samson Ebukam – Outside Linebacker – 2013-14-15-16
San Francisco 49ers (NFL) – Kendrick Bourne – Wide Receiver – 2013-14-15-16
###Denver Broncos (NFL) – Jake Rodgers – Offensive Tackle – 2013-14
Buffalo Bills (NFL) – Taiwan Jones – Running Back/Cornerback – 2008-09-10
***Los Angeles Rams (NFL) – Aaron Neary – Offensive Guard – 2012-13-14-15
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL) – Josh Lewis – Cornerback – 2015-16-17-18
Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Mitch Fettig – Safety – 2015-16-17-18
British Columbia Lions (CFL) – Victor Gamboa – Cornerback – 2014-15-16-17
Montreal Alouettes (CFL) – Vernon Adams Jr. – Quarterback – 2012-13-14
British Columbia Lions (CFL) – T.J. Lee III – Cornerback – 2010-11-12-13
Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Bo Levi Mitchell – Quarterback – 2010-11
Toronto Argonauts (CFL) – Matt Nichols – Quarterback – 2006-07-08-09
***British Columbia Lions (CFL) – D'londo Tucker – Cornerback – 2013-15-16-18
Spokane Shock (IFL) – Dehonta Hayes – Safety – 2017-18-19
***Not on 2020 roster as of Sept. 8, 2020. ###Began 2020 season on practice squad.
 
With COOPER KUPP (right), SAMSON EBUKAM, KENDRICK BOURNE and AARON NEARY, Eastern had four rookies play in the regular season in the NFL in 2017 – certainly extremely rare if not unprecedented by a FCS school.
 
 
 

Story by STATS on FCS Players in the NFL in 2020

 
CHICAGO – Sept. 8, 2020 – FCS college football has flexed its muscle with 141 former players on NFL season-opening rosters and another 66 signed to practice squads.
 
There's no shortage of star power, including the likes of quarterbacks Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles, North Dakota State) and Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers, Eastern Illinois), wide receiver Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams, Eastern Washington), tight end Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco 49ers, Harvard), left tackle Terron Armstead (New Orleans Saints, Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and linebacker Darius Leonard (Indianapolis Colts, South Carolina State).
 
James Madison has the most players on 53-man active rosters with seven followed by Delaware, Harvard, North Dakota State and South Carolina State with six each. North Dakota State, the three-time defending national champion, has five players on practice squads, bringing its overall total to 11, the high among FCS programs.
 
All 32 NFL rosters have an FCS player. Twelve of the players will be in action Thursday night when the Houston Texans and Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs kick off the league's 101^st season.
 
Following are former FCS players on NFL season-opening active rosters:
 
Browns (9) - Stephen Carlson (Princeton), Tae Davis (Chattanooga), Jamie Gillan (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), KhaDarel Hodge (Prairie View A&M), Kendall Lamm (Appalachian State), George Obinna (Sacramento State), Larry Ogunjobi (Charlotte), Alex Taylor (South Carolina State), J.C. Tretter (Cornell)          
Buccaneers (8) – Quinton Bell (Prairie View A&M), Cameron Brate (Harvard), Cam Gill (Wagner), Joe Haeg (North Dakota State), Ryan Smith (North Carolina Central), Aaron Stinnie (James Madison), Justin Watson (Penn), Josh Wells (James Madison) 
49ers (7) - Kendrick Bourne (Eastern Washington), Tom Compton (South Dakota), Ross Dwelley (San Diego), Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois), Kyle Juszczyk (Harvard), Jerick McKinnon (Georgia Southern), Jaquiski Tartt (Samford)          
Saints (7) – Terron Armstead (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Nick Easton (Harvard), Kaden Elliss (Idaho), Ethan Greenidge (Villanova), Josh Hill (Idaho State), Anthony Lanier II (Alabama A&M), Adam Trautman (Dayton)           
Texans (7) – DeAndre Carter (Sacramento State), Dylan Cole (Missouri State), Isaiah Coulter (Rhode Island), Keion Crossen (Western Carolina), P.J. Hall (Sam Houston State), Tytus Howard (Alabama State), David Johnson (UNI)
Bills (6) - Darryl Johnson (North Carolina A&T), Taron Johnson (Weber State), Taiwan Jones (Eastern Washington), Dean Marlowe (James Madison), Siran Neal (Jacksonville State), Josh Norman (Coastal Carolina)        
Broncos (6) - Jacob Bobenmoyer (Northern Colorado), Austin Calitro (Villanova), Davontae Harris (Illinois State), Shelby Harris (Illinois State), Sam Martin (Appalachian State), Diontae Spencer (McNeese)
Eagles (6) - Dallas Goedert (South Dakota State), Javon Hargrave (South Carolina State), Craig James (Southern Illinois), Rick Lovato (Old Dominion), Alex Singleton (Montana State), Carson Wentz (North Dakota State)  
Jets (6) – Daniel Brown (James Madison), Joe Flacco (Delaware), John Franklin-Myers (Stephen F. Austin), Chris Hogan (Monmouth), Patrick Onwuasor (Portland State), Greg Van Roten (Penn)      
Titans (6) - Nick Dzubnar (Cal Poly), Anthony Firkser (Harvard), Isaiah Mack (Chattanooga), MyCole Pruitt (Southern Illinois), Kalif Raymond (Holy Cross), Derick Roberson (Sam Houston State)      
Bears (5) - Tarik Cohen (North Carolina A&T), DeAndre Houston-Carson (William & Mary), Bilal Nichols (Delaware), Eric Saubert (Drake), Buster Skrine (Chattanooga)       
Chiefs (5) - Alex Brown (South Carolina State), Antonio Hamilton (South Carolina State), Tanoh Kpassagnon (Villanova), Daniel Kilgore (Appalachian State), Khalen Saunders (Western Illinois)
Lions (5) - Jamal Agnew (San Diego), Mike Ford (Southeast Missouri State), Miles Killebrew (Southern Utah), Tony McRae (North Carolina A&T), Nick Williams (Samford)           
Ravens (5) - Chris Board (North Dakota State), Nick Boyle (Delaware), L.J. Fort (UNI), Anthony Levine Sr. (Tennessee State), Patrick Ricard (Maine)    
Cardinals (4) - Robert Alford (Southeastern Louisiana), Chase Edmonds (Fordham), Josh Miles (Morgan State), Chris Streveler (South Dakota)           
Colts (4) - Bruce Anderson III (North Dakota State), Darius Leonard (South Carolina State), George Odum (Central Arkansas), Luke Rhodes (William & Mary)  
Dolphins (4) – Julie'n Davenport (Bucknell), Jesse Davis (Idaho), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harvard), Kamu Grugier-Hill (Eastern Illinois)         
Packers (4) - Tim Boyle (Eastern Kentucky), Raven Greene (James Madison), Robert Tonyan (Indiana State), Billy Turner (North Dakota State)      
Panthers (4) - Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois), Zach Kerr (Delaware), Trent Scott (Grambling State), Julian Stanford (Wagner)     
Rams (4) - Samson Ebukam (Eastern Washington), Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington), Troy Reeder (Delaware), Nsimba Webster (Eastern Washington)
Washington Football Team (4) – Antonio Gandy-Golden (Liberty), Danny Johnson (Southern University), Mike Liedtke (Illinois State), Jimmy Moreland (James Madison)      
Chargers (3) - Nasir Adderley (Delaware), Donald Parham Jr. (Stetson), Easton Stick (North Dakota State)           
Falcons (3) - Jaeden Graham (Yale), Foye Oluokun (Yale), Timon Parris (Stony Brook)       
Jaguars (3) - James O'Shaughnessy (Illinois State), James Robinson (Illinois State), Quincy Williams (Murray State)  
Patriots (3) - Justin Bethel (Presbyterian), Brandon Copeland (Penn), Derek Rivers (Youngstown State)  
Seahawks (3) - Eli Mencer (Albany), Jason Myers (Marist), Tyler Ott (Harvard)      
Cowboys (2) - Ben DiNucci (James Madison), Joe Thomas (South Carolina State)  
Giants (2) - C.J. Board (Chattanooga), James Bradberry (Samford)
Steelers (2) - Kameron Canaday (Portland State), Jordan Dangerfield (Towson)     
Vikings (2) - Dakota Dozier (Furman), Oli Udoh (Elon)         
Bengals (1) - LeShaun Sims (Southern Utah) 
Raiders (1) - Brandon Parker (North Carolina A&T)