Bowling Green State University Athletics
Free Agent Frenzy: Five Falcons Earn NFL Opportunities
May 01, 2016 | Football
Bowling Green, Ohio – No fewer than five Bowling Green State University football players have been provided opportunities by NFL teams since the conclusion of the 2016 NFL Draft Saturday.
Wide receiver Roger Lewis and quarterback Matt Johnson were two of the more highly sought-after available players following the conclusion of the draft. Both had been listed in multiple pre-draft projections as possibilities to be selected. Although neither got picked, both were quickly given post-draft opportunities. Lewis will head to the New York Giants and Johnson will move on to the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I'm thankful to the New York Giants for giving me the opportunity to become a professional athlete," Lewis said. "Now it's time to prove myself to the organization and to the NFL that I'm built for this and that I'm here to stay. The Giants have shown faith in me."
Lewis and Johnson combined to rewrite Bowling Green's record books in 2015. Johnson broke both school and MAC records for passing yards and touchdown passes, while Lewis was a Football Writer's Association of America (FWAA) Second Team All-American after becoming the first player in program history with back-to-back 200+ yard receiving games.
Running back Travis Greene will be heading to the Washington Redskins, while center Alex Huettel has earned a minicamp invitation by the Tennessee Titans. Defensive back Eilar Hardy, a Notre Dame transfer, will join Johnson in Cincinnati as a minicamp invite.
While Johnson and Lewis provided explosiveness in the passing game, Greene and Huettel did the same in the running game. Greene is BGSU's all-time single-season and career rushing leader, while Huettel finished his career by starting all 55 games on the offensive line over four years, a new BGSU record. Hardy played just one season at Bowling Green but started 13 games with 82 tackles and two interceptions.
Led by many of the players who earned opportunities this weekend, Bowling Green football played in each of the last three MAC Championship games, winning the league title in both 2013 and 2015. The Falcons have gone to four consecutive bowl games and averaged nine wins per season during that stretch. BGSU has not lost a game against a MAC East opponent since 2012.
Note -- Please return to BGSUFalcons.com regularly for more announcements regarding professional opportunities for Bowling Green football players.
Wide receiver Roger Lewis and quarterback Matt Johnson were two of the more highly sought-after available players following the conclusion of the draft. Both had been listed in multiple pre-draft projections as possibilities to be selected. Although neither got picked, both were quickly given post-draft opportunities. Lewis will head to the New York Giants and Johnson will move on to the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I'm thankful to the New York Giants for giving me the opportunity to become a professional athlete," Lewis said. "Now it's time to prove myself to the organization and to the NFL that I'm built for this and that I'm here to stay. The Giants have shown faith in me."
Lewis and Johnson combined to rewrite Bowling Green's record books in 2015. Johnson broke both school and MAC records for passing yards and touchdown passes, while Lewis was a Football Writer's Association of America (FWAA) Second Team All-American after becoming the first player in program history with back-to-back 200+ yard receiving games.
Running back Travis Greene will be heading to the Washington Redskins, while center Alex Huettel has earned a minicamp invitation by the Tennessee Titans. Defensive back Eilar Hardy, a Notre Dame transfer, will join Johnson in Cincinnati as a minicamp invite.
While Johnson and Lewis provided explosiveness in the passing game, Greene and Huettel did the same in the running game. Greene is BGSU's all-time single-season and career rushing leader, while Huettel finished his career by starting all 55 games on the offensive line over four years, a new BGSU record. Hardy played just one season at Bowling Green but started 13 games with 82 tackles and two interceptions.
Led by many of the players who earned opportunities this weekend, Bowling Green football played in each of the last three MAC Championship games, winning the league title in both 2013 and 2015. The Falcons have gone to four consecutive bowl games and averaged nine wins per season during that stretch. BGSU has not lost a game against a MAC East opponent since 2012.
Note -- Please return to BGSUFalcons.com regularly for more announcements regarding professional opportunities for Bowling Green football players.
Players Mentioned
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