MANHATTAN, Kan. – As the 2018 NFL season kicks off on Thursday night, 11 former Kansas State players made NFL rosters as organizations set their active rosters and practice squads following the mandatory cut down from 90 training camp players on Saturday.
The longest-tenured former Wildcats include running back Darren Sproles and wide receiver Jordy Nelson.
Sproles, a Pro Bowler in 2015, is going into his 14th season, including his fifth with the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. Nelson, the 2016 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, is set for his 11th season but first with the Oakland Raiders. Joining Nelson in Oakland is linebacker Emmanuel Lamur, who is in his seventh year but first with the Raiders.
Terence Newman, who went through his 16th NFL training camp this summer, retired on Saturday and will immediately join the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff.
Fourth-year wide receiver Tyler Lockett is back for the Seattle Seahawks, while offensive linemen B.J. Finney (Pittsburgh) and Cody Whitehair (Chicago) are beginning their third seasons on NFL rosters.
Jordan Willis, a 2017 NFL Draft pick, is in his second year with Cincinnati, while linebacker Elijah Lee – a 2017 draft pick by Minnesota who was signed off the Vikings’ practice by San Francisco – begins his second year with the 49ers. Deante Burton, a four-year receiver for the Wildcats, is entering his second year as a practice squad defensive back for Atlanta.
D.J. Reed enters his rookie season in San Francisco as he was drafted by the 49ers in April, extending K-State’s Big 12-leading draft streak to 25 years. Another rookie, wide receiver Byron Pringle, was placed on injured reserve by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kansas State takes on 18th-ranked Mississippi State on Saturday in an 11 a.m. The game, which will be televised nationally on ESPN, serves as both Harley Day and a Stripe Out. A Wildcat 4-Pack is on sale for $99, while view level group tickets are just $20 each when purchasing 20 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.
Former Wildcats on NFL Rosters
Name Position Team
Deante Burton* DB Atlanta
B.J. Finney OL Pittsburgh
Emmanuel Lamur LB Oakland
Elijah Lee LB San Francisco
Tyler Lockett WR Seattle
Jordy Nelson WR Oakland
Byron Pringle^ WR Kansas City
D.J. Reed DB San Francisco
Darren Sproles RB Philadelphia
Cody Whitehair OL Chicago
Jordan Willis DE Cincinnati
* Practice Squad
^ Injured Reserve
RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football and Golf Communications | K-State Athletics