An updated version of this blog post is available at WVUPros.com
Kay Jay Harris: Harris, a running back, was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and spent his first season on the practice squad.
Nick Saban, the Miami head coach, had high expectations for Harris's second season, saying, "We were really pleased with him last year in preseason. We were pleased with him all year on the practice squad. We really never had an opportunity to move him up...We're kind of anxious to see how he responds through camp and through this exhibition season." He was never given the chance to prove himself in Miami, Harris spent the first month of the season on the practice squad before he was waived.
Two months into the season, Harris was picked up by the Rams. Harris found some playing time in his partial season with St. Louis. His stats show nothing impressive: 3 rushes for 9 yards; 4 kick returns for 76 yards; and 1 reception for ten yards. Harris was released before the beginning of the 2007 season.
During the 2007 season, Harris was considered by the Panthers but was ultimately signed by the Giants practice squad just before their Super Bowl win. He practiced with the Giants during the offseason and was optimistic about his odds. However, before the begining of the 2008 season, he was released and not resigned by another team.
Dan Mozes: After a highly touted career at WVU, center Mozes went undrafted. Though many worried his size would not allow him to carry over into the NFL, the Vikings picked him up. Mozes injured his knee at the beginning of the season and never had a chance to play. He was invited back to the Viking's camp the following year, but was waived before the beginning of the 2008 season.
From there, the record becomes a bit fuzzy. Wikipedia says he went on to play in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders but has no references. In 2008, it looks like he played in the Arena Football League 2 (a sort of farm league for the AFL) with the Iowa Barnstormers and the Green Bay Blizzards.
Jeremy Sheffey: The Chargers picked up Offensive Guard Sheffey after the draft. He was given a two year contract but was released before the beginning of the season after an injury.
Sheffey was also picked up by the AFL 2's Blizzards. After a short stint with the AFL's New York Dragons in 2008, he returned to the AFL 2 and the Blizzards but was released after an injury.
Anthony Becht: The 2000 NFL draft has been pretty productive. Becht was drafted by the Jets in the first round (27th overall) but only managed to have 40 receptions in his college career. This tells us the guy was one hell of a blocker.
In five seasons with the Jets (2000-2004), Becht seems have been given more of a receiving role than anywhere else. He peaked in 2003 with 40 receptions for 356 yards, an impressive 8.6 yards a gain, while making 26 first downs. In 2004, however, he had a career low 100 receptions. The stats say he was on the roster for all the games in his last year with the Jets (only missing two in his career - his rookie year - so far).
Since his time with the Jets, Becht signed with the Buccaneers but has been hampered with injuries. Knee, ankle, hamstring, and most recently his elbow. He even had lasik eye surgery. He wasn’t used much as a receiver. In 2007, Becht became an unrestricted free agent and, although still sought after by the Bucs, signed with the Rams.
Coincidently, signing with the Rams as a free agent in 2008 teamed Becht up with former WVU teammates Mark Bulger and Marc Magro.
Jerry Porter: The Oakland Raiders drafted Porter in the second round (47th overall) as a wide receiver. Porter played for the Raiders for eight years (2000 to 2007). During his time there, 2004 and 2005 appeared to be his most productive and he had over 900 yards in each. 2006, with the hiring of head coach Art Shell, spelled the beginning of the end for Porter’s tenure in Oakland. He openly criticized Shell’s hiring and asked to be traded before the season began. He was suspended in August of that year due to open criticism during practice, though his sentiment was echoed by other players. After only playing in four games in 2006, Porter bounced back in 2007 while receiving 705 yards without Shell at the helm.
Porter became a free agent after the 2007 season and was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was plagued by both hamstring and groin injuries during the 2008 season. After only having 11 receptions, giving him about $1 million a catch, there’s some talk about him not being invited back.
Barrett Green: The Detroit Lions drafted green in the second round (50th overall) as a linebacker. He played four years in Detroit (2000-2003) and was generally productive. His pinnacle, both for the Lions and his career, came in 2003 with 93 tackles and 3 sacks.
Green was signed by the Giants in 2004, playing there for two years. His first year, he started in nine games and only had 37 tackles. During the 2005 season, Green was plagued by knee and ankle injuries and barely played at all.
Green attended a Miami Dolphins mini-camp in 2006 but was injured during practice. Shortly afterward, in May of 2006, he was signed to a one year contract with the Houston Texans. After re-aggravating his groin injury during practice, he was not able to suit up for pre-season games and was released in August before the beginning of regular season.
An updated version of this blog post is available at WVUPros.com
Lance Nimmo: Nimmo is a hard guy to find. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round (130th overall) as a tackle. His practice squad career lasted from 2003 to 2005, ending in where it began in Tampa. In between, he also played for the Patriots, Jets, and Browns. But that’s not all, he also played for the Cologne Centurians in the NFL Europa. There are no stats whatsoever for him, even for his time in Europe. At least he got to travel.
James Davis: Drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round (144th overall), Davis played threes years for the team. His top year came 2004 when he recorded 83 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a linebacker starting all 16 games. He also started 16 games in 2005, however his stats were depressed. Davis was released before the beginning of the 2006 season and was subsequently signed by the Giants in early 2007. After playing time during pre-season he was cut again. That’s too bad, he could’ve had a shiny ring if he pulled through.
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