PRINCETON, N.J. -- Twenty-one Ivies—representing all eight football programs—earned National Football League (NFL) roster spots entering the 2020 season. Thirteen will don NFL uniforms during the league’s opening weekend as part of their team’s 53-man active rosters.
The Ivy League's 21 alumni are more than 10 percent of the Football Championship Subdivision's (FCS) total of 208 former student-athletes on NFL rosters to begin the 2020 season.
Harvard paces all Ivies and ranks second among FCS programs with six alumni on NFL active rosters—
Cameron Brate (Tampa Bay Buccaneers),
Nick Easton (New Orleans Saints),
Anthony Firkser (Tennessee Titans),
Ryan Fitzpatrick (Miami Dolphins),
Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco 49ers) and
Tyler Ott (Seattle Seahawks)—trailing only James Madison's seven alumni.
Fitzpatrick—who will open his 16th NFL season as the starting quarterback for the Dolphins—is the elder statesman among the Ivies in the NFL.
Penn and Yale join Harvard in claiming multiple alumni on NFL opening weekend rosters.
Brandon Copeland (New England Patriots),
Greg Van Roten (New York Jets) and
Justin Watson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) represent the Quakers, while Yale boasts a pair of Atlanta Falcons in
Jaeden Graham and
Foye Oluokun.
Cleveland Browns teammates
JC Tretter of Cornell and
Stephen Carlson of Princeton round out the 13 Ivies on NFL active rosters. Tretter was elected president of the NFL Player's Association back in March.
Eight Ivies will open the 2020 season on their respective team’s 16-man practice squads—Brown’s
Michael Hoecht (Los Angeles Rams), Columbia’s
Cameron Nizialek (Atlanta Falcons), Dartmouth’s
Matt Kaskey (Carolinia Panthers), Dartmouth’s
Niko Lalos (New York Giants), Harvard’s
Cole Toner (Los Angeles Chargers), Princeton’s
Jesper Horsted (Chicago Bears), Princeton’s
John Lovett (Green Bay Packers) and Princeton’s
Caraun Reid (Jacksonville Jaguars).
Ivy League football alumni dot 17-of-32 NFL rosters. Three teams claim multiple Ivies heading into the opening weekend of the 2020 season—the Atlanta Falcons (3), Cleveland Browns (2) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2).
Twenty-six Ivies appeared on NFL rosters during the 2019 season, headlined by four-time Pro Bowl fullback Juszczyk out of Harvard, three-time Super Bowl champion fullback
James Develin out of Brown, two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowl long snapper
Zak DeOssie out of Brown and 2019 Super Bowl champion tight end/fullback Lovett out of Princeton. Develin and DeOssie announced their respective retirements following the 2019 campaign.
Eighteen Ivies have lifted the Lombardi Trophy, combining for 25 Super Bowl championships all-time, including 11 since 2008.
The 2020 NFL regular season commences on Thursday, September 10, when the Houston Texans visit the Kansas City Chiefs.
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Ivy League has postponed the 2020 football season. A decision on whether fall sport competition will be feasible in the spring will be determined at a later date.
Brown
* Michael Hoecht – Los Angeles Rams (DL, Rookie)
Columbia
* Cameron Nizialek – Atlanta Falcons (P, Rookie)
Cornell
JC Tretter – Cleveland Browns (OL, 8th year)
Dartmouth
* Matt Kaskey – Carolina Panthers (OL, 2nd year)
* Niko Lalos – New York Giants (DE, Rookie)
Harvard
Cameron Brate – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (TE, 7th year)
Nick Easton – New Orleans Saints (OL, 6th year)
Anthony Firkser – Tennessee Titans (TE, 4th year)
Ryan Fitzpatrick – Miami Dolphins (QB, 16th year)
Kyle Juszczyk – San Francisco 49ers (FB, 8th year)
Tyler Ott – Seattle Seahawks (LS, 7th year)
* Cole Toner – Los Angeles Chargers (OL, 5th year)
Penn
Brandon Copeland – New England Patriots (LB, 8th year)
Greg Van Roten – New York Jets (OL, 7th year)
Justin Watson – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (WR, 3rd year)
Princeton
Stephen Carlson – Cleveland Browns (TE, 2nd year)
* Jesper Horsted – Chicago Bears (TE, 2nd year)
* John Lovett – Green Bay Packers (FB/TE, 2nd year)
* Caraun Reid – Jacksonville Jaguars (DT, 7th year)
Yale
Jaeden Graham – Atlanta Falcons (TE, 3rd year)
Foye Oluokun – Atlanta Falcons (LB, 3rd year)
* Practice Squad