STARKVILLE – With the 2019 NFL season beginning TONIGHT, a total of 21 former Mississippi State Bulldogs have gone from State to Sundays with a spot on the final 53-man rosters for their respective franchise with six other Bulldogs beginning the season on either the practice squad or injured reserve.
Fletcher Cox returns for his ninth season in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform. The Super Bowl LII Champion enters the 2019 season as the second-highest paid defensive tackle in the league. He has amassed 327 tackles and 44.5 sacks in his career.
Coming off his second straight Pro Bowl season, Darius Slay is poised for another standout season for the Detroit Lions. Slay ranked fourth in the NFL last season with 17 passes defended and totaled three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
Chris Jones turned in a clinic last season for the Kansas City Chiefs, ending the year with the third-most sacks in the NFL (15.5). Jones recorded a sack in an NFL-record 11 consecutive games. He added 40 combined tackles, five passes defended, two forced fumbles and an interception en route to an All-Pro performance.
K.J. Wright and Pernell McPhee are the longest-tenured former Bulldogs as they begin their ninth seasons in the NFL. Battling injury last season, Wright looks to return to dominating form for the Seahawks. The linebacker has totaled 723 career tackles. McPhee makes the move to Baltimore for the 2019 season.
Dak Prescott enters his fourth season as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott closed last season with 3,885 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He added 305 yards rushing and six scores on the ground.
Four Bulldog rookies earned a spot on 53-man rosters, including first-round draft picks Johnathan Abram (Oakland) and Montez Sweat (Washington). Joining the duo on active rosters are rookie offensive linemen Elgton Jenkins (Green Bay) and Deion Calhoun (Miami)
A total of three Bulldog will begin the season on injured reserve, which includes rookies Jeffery Simmons (Tennessee) and Mark McLaurin (Giants). Three-year veteran Malcolm Johnson will also start the season on the IR for the Packers.
Three former Bulldogs will contribute to their organizations and look to make the active roster in the future by participating on the practice squad, including Fred Brown (Broncos) and rookies Gerri Green (New England) and Nick Fitzgerald (Tampa Bay).
Below is a list of former Mississippi State student-athletes who are currently with NFL teams. Please use the link to view season and career statistics from NFL.com.
NAME
AT MSU
TEAM
YEARS IN LEAGUE
POSITION
Johnathan Abram
2017-18
Oakland Raiders
R
S
Denico Autry
2012-13
Indianapolis Colts
6
DT/DE
Hunter Bradley
2012-17
Green Bay Packers
2
LS
Fred Brown – #
2014-15
Denver Broncos
1
WR
Deion Calhoun
2014-18
Miami Dolphins
R
OG
Logan Cooke
2014-17
Jacksonville Jaguars
2
P
Fletcher Cox*^
2009-11
Philadelphia Eagles
8
DT
Nick Fitzgerald – #
2014-18
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
R
QB
J.T. Gray
2014-17
New Orleans Saints
2
DB
Gerri Green – #
2014-18
New England Patriots
R
DE
Gabe Jackson*
2009-13
Oakland Raiders
6
OG
Elgton Jenkins
2014-18
Green Bay Packers
R
OG
Malcolm Johnson – IR
2010-14
Green Bay Packers
3
FB
Chris Jones*
2013-15
Kansas City Chiefs
4
DT
Kyle Love
2006-09
Carolina Panthers
8
DT
Benardrick McKinney*^
2011-14
Houston Texans
5
LB
Mark McLaurin – IR
2015-18
New York Giants
R
LB
Pernell McPhee
2009-10
Baltimore Ravens
9
LB
Dak Prescott*^
2011-15
Dallas Cowboys
4
QB
Martinas Rankin
2015-17
Kansas City Chiefs
2
OT
Will Redmond
2012-15
Green Bay Packers
4
S
Jeffery Simmons – IR
2016-18
Tennessee Titans
R
DL
Darius Slay*^
2011-12
Detroit Lions
7
CB
Preston Smith*
2011-14
Green Bay Packers
5
LB
Montez Sweat
2017-18
Washington Redskins
R
R
Jordan Thomas
2016-17
Houston Texans
2
TE
K.J. Wright*
2007-10
Seattle Seahawks
9
LB
* – 2018 Regular Starter
^ – 2018 Pro Bowl Selection
# – Practice Squad
IR – Injured Reserve
