Every aspiring football player dreams of having his name called out as part of an NFL draft. But with only seven rounds each year, everyone’s dream can’t be realized.
But that doesn’t rule out their chances to play professional football.
Although the odds are against any undrafted player from ever appearing in a regular season NFL game, the league is littered with success stories who earned carved out productive careers after signing post-draft free agent contracts. It’s a list that includes the likes of Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, Antonio Gates and Wes Welker.
Here’s a look at the newest crop of undrafted free agents from North Carolina schools hoping to add their name to the list of success stories: (check back for additions to the list):
UNC: Aaron Crawford, DT (Ravens); Myles Dorn, S, (Vikings); Antonio Williams, RB (Bills); Jake Bargas, TE (Vikings), Dominique Ross, CB (Giants)
Duke: Trevon McSwain, DT (Bears)
Wake Forest: Kendall Hinton, WR (Broncos); Jake Benzinger, OT (Cardinals), Scotty Washington, WR (Bengals); Nate Gilliam, OG (Chargers); Dom Maggio, P (Ravens); Essang Bassey, CB (Broncos)
ECU: Kendall Futrell, DE (Bengals)
Appalachian State: Josh Thomas, S (Bills)
Charlotte: Benny LeMay, RB (Browns)
Western Carolina: John Bannon, CB (Chargers)
UNC Pembroke: Domenique Davis, DL (Jets)
