Three Ferris State Football Alums To Compete In NFL Playoffs On Active Rosters

Big Rapids, Mich. - A trio of Ferris State University football alums will keep their Super Bowl hopes alive as they embark with their respective franchises in the 2020 National Football League (NFL) Playoffs starting this weekend.

The Bulldogs' active roster representatives on playoff squads include defensive back Tavierre Thomas (Cleveland), defensive tackle Justin Zimmer (Buffalo) and wide receiver Malik Taylor (Green Bay).

Zimmer and the Bills will open the playoffs on Saturday (Jan. 9) at home versus the Indianapolis Colts with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m. (ET) in Orchard Park. The game will be televised nationally by CBS and represent the Bills' first home playoff game in 25 years as they look for their first postseason win since 1995.

Meanwhile, Thomas will take the field with the Browns for the wild card round on Sunday (Jan. 10) on the road at Pittsburgh. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. (ET) on NBC. The Browns are in the postseason for the first time since 2002, ending the longest playoff drought in the NFL, and looking for their first playoff win since 1994.

Finally, Taylor and the Packers will have a first-round bye in the NFL Playoffs and take part in the NFC Divisional Round with the schedule for the weekend of Jan. 16-17 to be determined. Along with Green Bay, the Kansas City Chiefs also received a bye from the AFC.

The winners from the divisional round will advance to the NFC & AFC Championship games on Jan. 24 with Super Bowl LV set for Sunday, Feb. 7, in Tampa, Fla.

With 14 teams, the playoffs will have a new look this year. For the first time ever, the wild-card round will feature a triple-header on both Saturday and Sunday this week.

The playoff berths for the three Ferris State alums come on the heels of impressive regular-seasons for their three respective franchises. The Bills won the AFC East with a 13-3 record while the Browns posted one of their best marks in recent years with an 11-5 slate. Finally, the Packers also won their division, claiming the NFC North at 13-3 overall.

This fall, a total of six Ferris State alums saw action in at least one NFL regular-season game and eight were with various NFL franchises, which are the most of any NCAA Division II school in the country and top many current NCAA Division I institutions.

Along with the three Bulldogs who have reached the NFL Playoffs, former defensive tackle Zach Sieler (Miami) was a regular in the Dolphins' lineup and rookie defensive end Austin Edwards (Atlanta) played in one game for the Falcons and was listed on their practice squad throughout most of the fall. Recently, former Bulldog linebacker Brady Sheldon was signed by the New York Jets and played in their final regular-season game this past weekend. Finally, a pair of Bulldogs, wide receiver Jake Lampman and tight end Jason Vander Laan, have been with the New Orleans Saints, who are also in the playoff chase. Vander Laan has been on the club's COVID-19 opt-out list all fall with Lampman recently signed by the organization again.

Overall, all eight Bulldog alums have played in at least one NFL regular-season game over the past four years.