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Former FAMU football players land spots on NFL rosters ahead of 2024 season
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- Former FAMU football players land spots on NFL rosters ahead of 2024 season
The Florida A&M to National Football League pipeline is growing.
Former Rattlers players Terrell Jennings , Xavier Smith , Isaiah Land , and Markquese Bell are all members of NFL rosters entering the 2024 season.
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Jennings, a rookie, is on the New England Patriots ' practice squad. The running back played for the Rattlers from 2019-2023, culminating his college career by winning Most Valuable Player honors in the Florida Classic and Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship game last season.
Jennings also helped FAMU football win its first SWAC title and Celebration Bowl to claim its 16th Black College Football National Championship .
August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Terrell Jennings (29) runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Smith, a second-year wide receiver, is on the Los Angeles Rams ' practice squad. Beginning his college football career as a walk-on running back, Smith became an All-American wide receiver for the Rattlers.
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Land and Bell are on active rosters, making their respective 53-man cuts.
Land enters his second season playing defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts after spending 2018 to 2022 at FAMU. He was the 2021 Buck Buchanan Award Winner during his junior year with the Rattlers after leading the nation with 19 sacks.
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Bell, in his third year, is on the Dallas Cowboys , performing as a safety. Last season, he cracked the Cowboys starting lineup and notched the team's second-most 94 tackles in 17 games. The NFL Players Association named Bell the Black College Football Pro Player of the Year last season .
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Bell was an All-American with the Rattlers from 2019-2021, following stints at Maryland and Coffeyville Community College.
All former Rattlers players were undrafted. The last FAMU football player drafted was former Rattlers linebacker Brandon Hepburn in 2013.
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee .
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Former FAMU football players land NFL roster spots for 2024 season
