PRINCETON, N.J. – Twelve Ivies earned spots on initial NFL 53-man rosters, which were finalized on Tuesday. The league's 12 players was the third most of any FCS conference.
 
Seven of the eight Ivy League schools placed at least one player on an NFL squad. Harvard led the way with five former Crimson earning a spot, which is tied with North Dakota State for the second-most players from an FCS school. Only Delaware, with six, had more players.  
 
The Falcons have a trio of Ivy Leaguers on their roster in Penn’s Brandon Copeland, Yale’s Foyesade Oluokun and Columbia's Cam Nizialek. 
 
Fresh off his three-touchdown performance in the Bears preseason game against the Titans, Princeton alum Jesper Horsted earned a spot on Chicago’s 53-man roster. He finished the day reeling in all five of his targets and good for 104 receiving yards.
 
Entering year 17 in the pros, Harvard alum Ryan Fitzpatrick needs just 23 yards to reach 35,000 career passing yards. He currently ranks 30th on the career passing yards list and is seventh among active players.
 
The 2020 season culminated with Harvard’s Cameron Brate and Penn’s Justin Watson hoisting the Lombardi trophy, as the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl. Brate earned a spot on Tampa’s 53-man roster, while Watson is on currently on its reserve/PUP list.
 
Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Copeland – Penn (2009-12)
Foyesade Oluokun – Yale (2013-17)
Cam Nizialek – Columbia (2013-16)
 
Chicago Bears
Jesper Horsted – Princeton (2015-18)
 
Los Angeles Rams
Michael Hoecht – Brown (2016-19)
 
San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Juszczyk – Harvard (2009-12)
 
Seattle Seahawks
Tyler Ott – Harvard (2010-13)
 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cameron Brate – Harvard (2010-13)
 
Washington Football Team
Ryan Fitzpatrick – Harvard (2001-04)
 
Cleveland Browns
JC Tretter – Cornell (2009-12)
 
New York Jets
Greg Van Roten – Penn (2008-11)
 
Tennessee Titans
Anthony Firkser – Harvard (2013-16)