Iowa State football: An update on Cyclones in the NFL

With the NFL Draft behind us and the NBA yet to occur, it might be a good time to go over former Cyclones in the pro ranks.  With the success of Paul Rhoads, Fred Hoiberg, and Bill Fennelly, there have been more Iowa State players in the NFL, NBA, and WNBA, respectively, in recent years.

Let’s start with checking out some of the more famous Cyclones in the NFL along with newcomers from last season.

The biggest successes currently playing are probably Kelechi Osemele with the Baltimore Ravens, free agent Tim Dobbins (updated story on him here), and owner of “The Run,” Seneca Wallace.  All three have started for contenders in recent years and have contributed in their own way.

Osemele started every game as a rookie in 2012 and replaced a starter in the Ravens’ title run.  Dobbins played in the Texans’ playoff loss to the Ravens in 2011 and replaced starter Brian Cushing during the 2012 season due to injury.

Finally, Wallace has had the longest career and has been a critical backup (and occasional starter) for multiple teams, including the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.

As far as new Cyclones go there is a lot of excitement.  Jeremiah George was drafted in the 5th round by the New York Jets and signed a deal not long after.  Several other players including superb punter Kirby Van Der Kamp had scheduled post-draft workouts so hopefully there will be more Cyclones in the pros soon.