Bulldog National Champion QB Jared Bernhardt Signs NFL Priority Free Agent Contract With Atlanta Falcons
Big Rapids, Mich. - Another former Ferris State University football standout will have an opportunity to continue his career in the National Football League (NFL) as Bulldog senior quarterback Jared Bernhardt (Longwood, Fla.), who led FSU to the school's first NCAA Division II National Championship this past fall, signed with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons immediately following the NFL Draft on Saturday night as a priority free agent.
Bernhardt, who received strong interest leading into the draft, inked with the Falcons after the draft and will have an opportunity to earn a roster spot in preseason camp. The Falcons signed him with the intent to have him compete as a receiver and kick returner.
The Bulldog senior standout left a strong impression in his lone season of collegiate football this past fall following an outstanding four-year career as one of the nation's top lacrosse players at the University of Maryland, where he won the Tewaaraton Award as the country's top performer in the spring of 2021. This past fall, he ran for a team-high 1,421 yards on 159 attempts, ranking as one of the nation's leading rushers while scoring 26 touchdowns during FSU's national championship campaign. Additionally, he completed 87-of-123 (70.7%) throws for 1,322 yards and 11 scores en route to earning Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Player of the Year accolades.
Bernhardt ranked as one of the nation's top playmakers for the Bulldogs and guided Ferris State to the school's third consecutive GLIAC Championship prior to one of the most dominant playoff runs in NCAA Division II history. He was chosen as the GLIAC Player of the Week five times last fall and also garnered D2Football.com National Player of the Week laurels after accounting for seven touchdowns in his Ferris State debut. His play helped the Bulldogs lead the nation this past season in both scoring offense and total offense.
Bernhardt becomes the latest in a long line of former Bulldogs to join an NFL franchise. Including this year, the Bulldogs have now had at least one draftee or NFL free agent pickup following each of the past seven seasons in which they've played a season. A total of 12 different former Bulldogs have now been invited to NFL Preseason Camps or signed free agent contracts in the past three years.
Overall, the Bulldogs had a total of seven different players in a NFL Preseason Camp last summer, which was the most of any D2 school in the country. The 'Dawgs who took part in NFL camps last summer included former DB Tavierre Thomas (Houston), DL Zach Sieler (Miami), DT Justin Zimmer (Buffalo), WR Jake Lampman (New Orleans), WR Malik Taylor (Green Bay), DL Austin Edwards (Kansas City) and DT Chris Okoye (LA Rams). Four made NFL 53-man opening day rosters, including Thomas, Sieler, Zimmer and Taylor, tops among all D2 schools, while Edwards was signed to Kansas City's practice squad.
Four years ago, Sieler became Ferris State's first-ever NFL Draft choice when he was picked in the seventh round as the 238th overall selection by the Baltimore Ravens.
The recent Bulldog alums in the NFL have also included former linebacker Brady Sheldon and former two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner Jason Vander Laan. Eight of the alums have played in at least one NFL regular-season game since 2016. Three former Bulldogs were part of team's that made the NFL Conference Championship Games in 2020 in Taylor, Zimmer and Edwards.
While Sieler is the only Ferris State football player to ever be drafted by an NFL team, several other former Bulldogs have inked NFL contracts as free agents and played in the league. The Bulldogs had at least one NFL free agent pickup following the draft seven consecutive years prior to a year ago when FSU did not play the previous fall due to COVID-19. A total of 11 alumni earned camp invites over the past three years as offensive tackle Devon Johnson (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and receiver Keyondre Craig (Muskegon) also competed in training camps in 2019.
Over the past seven seasons, Sieler, Vander Laan, Sheldon, Zimmer, Thomas, Lampman, Taylor and Edwards have all seen NFL regular-season action after Lampman became the first to do so in 13 years back in 2016.
Unofficially, now at least 24 former Ferris State players have previously inked NFL free agent deals, including Bernhardt. Former defensive back Marvin Robinson inked with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 with defensive tackle Marcus Cribbs signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. Those two represented the first since free agent cornerback Angelo Williams with the Minnesota Vikings in 2010. Previously, in 2013, former defensive end Jordan Morgan received a rookie tryout with the New York Giants, but did not sign. In 2016, Vander Laan, Lampman and Zimmer all signed and reached NFL camps while Sheldon did likewise in 2017 before Sieler, Thomas and Okoye joined NFL organizations in 2018. In 2019, the trio of Taylor, Johnson and Craig all were signed following the draft.
The select group also consists of running back Dave Gagnon (1974-Chicago Bears), outside linebacker Monty Brown (1997-New York Jets), defensive tackle Ed Philion (1994-Buffalo Bills), defensive end Dave Zuiderveen (2001-Atlanta Falcons), flanker Clarence Coleman (2002-Buffalo Bills), tackle Matt McCoy (2004-Detroit Lions), wide receiver Carlton Brewster (2006-Cleveland Browns) and defensive tackle Jake Visser (2009-Houston Texans).
Two other former Ferris State players, offensive guard Bill Bourdlais and safety Patrick Wells, received tryout invitations from the Cleveland Browns in 2008 and participated in the team's rookie minicamp, but did not ink a deal. Several others have also had NFL tryouts including wide receiver Andre Johnson (1989), quarterback Dave DenBraber (1987), tight end Scott Alward (1984-Detroit Lions/NY Giants) and receiver/returner Fred Kirkland (1981). Defensive back James Skodak (2006) also had tryouts with several NFL organizations among other past Bulldog standouts.
Bernhardt played a key role for the Bulldogs this past fall in leading Ferris State to the NCAA Division II National Championship. This past season, along with capturing the D2 National Championship with a perfect 14-0 record, the Bulldogs also claimed a third-straight GLIAC Championship and stretched their regular-season winning streak to 38 consecutive games and counting.
FSU has reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals four times in the past five seasons of action and ranks as the country's winningest program over the past seven full seasons in D2 Football.
The Bulldogs have won each of the last three GLIAC Championships in unbeaten fashion and reached the national quarterfinals five consecutive years, which is the longest streak in the country. Over the past three seasons of on-field action, the Bulldogs have compiled a 41-2 mark.
Bulldog NFL Fact List:
5 - Alums were on NFL rosters in 2021
7 - Alums earned NFL training camp invites in 2021
8 - Alums have played in NFL regular-season action since 2016
8 - Alums received NFL training camp invites in 2019
12 - Alums have earned NFL training camp invites since 2019
24 - Alums all-time have signed NFL free agent contracts