Wildcats in the NFL – Week 17
Jan 02, 2017 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Each week throughout the 2016 season, k-statesports.com will recap the action for the 10 former Kansas State football players currently in the NFL.
Randall Evans, CB – San Diego Chargers
Entering the league as a draft pick by Philadelphia last season, Evans was signed to San Diego’s practice squad on December 7. The Chargers fell in their season finale, 37-27, to finish the year 5-11.
B.J. Finney, OL – Pittsburgh Steelers
Finney, an undrafted rookie free agent in 2015 who spent last year on the practice squad, started for the third time this season but the first time at center and played on all 71 offensive snaps in Pittsburgh’s 27-24 overtime win over Cleveland. The Steelers, who won the AFC North, closed out the regular season with seven-straight victories. The No. 3-seed in the playoffs, Pittsburgh hosts Miami on Sunday during the Wild Card Weekend.
Glenn Gronkowski, FB – New England Patriots
Gronkowski is in his third tour of duty on New England’s practice squad this year after originally entering the league as an undrafted rookie free agent with Buffalo. The Patriots won at Miami, 35-14, to wrap up home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. New England hosts a divisional round game on Saturday, January 14.
Emmanuel Lamur, LB – Minnesota Vikings
A fifth-year linebacker, Lamur registered two tackles in Minnesota’s 38-10 home win over Chicago. Completing his first year with the Vikings after spending his first four seasons in Cincinnati, Lamur has 163 career tackles, a half sack, 11 passes defended and two interceptions in his career. The Vikings finished the season with an 8-8 record.
Tyler Lockett, WR/Returner – Seattle Seahawks
Lockett, a nominee for the 2016 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, was placed on injured reserve on December 27, with a broken leg sustained in Week 16. He ended his season with 41 receptions for 597 yards and a touchdown to go along with an 8.4-yard punt return average and a 26.3-yard kickoff return average. Seattle defeated San Francisco, 25-23, to finish the regular season with a 10-5-1 record. The Seahawks are the No. 3-seed in the NFC playoffs and host Detroit on Saturday night.
Cornelius Lucas, OL – Detroit Lions
Lucas, a third-year offensive lineman, saw time on both offense and special teams in Detroit’s 31-24 home loss to Green Bay. An undrafted rookie free agent signee in 2014, Lucas has played in 35 career games with six starts. The Lions ended the regular season with a 9-7 record and are the No. 6-seed in the NFC playoffs. Detroit plays at Seattle on Saturday.
Jordy Nelson, WR – Green Bay Packers
Nelson, a ninth-year pro, carded six catches for 66 yards in Green Bay’s 31-24 victory at Detroit, a win that captured the NFC North division title. On injured reserve for the entire 2015 season, Nelson finished the 2016 regular season with 97 receptions for 1,257 yards and an NFL-best 14 receiving touchdowns. The Riley, Kansas, product ranks third in Green Bay history in career touchdowns (63), fourth in career catches (497) and fifth in yards (7,366). Despite holding a 4-6 record through Week 11, the Packers won their final six games to finish the regular season with a 10-6 record. Green Bay, the No. 4-seed in the NFC playoffs, hosts the New York Giants on Sunday.
NFC North Champions! ?? #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/DfmbMasO8M
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 2, 2017
Highlights: 20-yd catch | 16-yd catch
Terence Newman, CB – Minnesota Vikings
A 14th-year veteran who completed his second season with Minnesota, Newman played in the Vikings’ 38-10 home victory over Chicago to close out the 2016 season. The Salina, Kansas, product, who is a nominee for the NFL’s 2016 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, played in his 205th career game. He has 841 tackles in his career to go along with two sacks, 167 passes defended and 41 interceptions. His 41 picks rank second among active players. Minnesota finished the year with an 8-8 record.
Darren Sproles, RB/Returner – Philadelphia Eagles
Sproles, a 12th-year veteran, started at running back and rushed for 32 yards on nine carries while hauling in three passes for four yards in Philadelphia’s 27-13 victory over Dallas on Sunday. The 2016 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award finalist finished the season with 438 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to go along with 427 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He now has 19,011 career all-purpose yards to rank eighth in NFL history. The Eagles finished the year with a 7-9 record.
Cody Whitehair, OL – Chicago Bears
A second-round pick in this year’s draft, Whitehair made his 16th-straight start at center and played on all 60 offensive snaps in Chicago’s 38-10 loss at Minnesota. The Bears finished the season with a 3-13 record.
