Six Ferris State Football Alums Open NFL Preseason Training Camps This Week

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University football program is again well represented in the National Football League (NFL) as preseason training camps get underway this week.

The Bulldogs have six former standouts currently slated to take part in NFL Preseason Camps heading into the 2021 campaign, which ranks among the most in the country for any NCAA Division II school in the nation.

Ferris State will be represented in this year's preseason camp action by former defensive tackle Justin Zimmer (Buffalo), wide receiver Jake Lampman (New Orleans), defensive tackle Zach Sieler (Miami), wide receiver Malik Taylor (Green Bay), cornerback Tavierre Thomas (Houston) and defensive end Austin Edwards (Kansas City).

For the first time in history, there is a unified start date for NFL camps with the majority of the 32 teams slated to report on July 27. Three teams were allowed to report last week due to starting the preseason a week earlier than the rest. The regular-season begins on Thursday, Sept. 9.

The NFL preseason camps feature a standard 90-man roster with three cut-down dates this year. Teams will be expected to reduce the roster to 85 individuals by Aug. 17 and down to 80 on Aug. 24 before finalizing the 53-man regular season rosters.

Zimmer will attend the Bills camp at the ADPRO Training Center in Orchard Park (N.Y.) with Lampman and the Saints competing at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, La. Sieler's camp with the Dolphins is slated to be held at the Baptist Health Training Center in Miami Gardens (Fla.) with Taylor and the Packers holding their camp at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Meanwhile, Thomas starts his first season with the Houston Texans at the club's training center in Houston with Edwards and the Chiefs holding preseason workouts at Missouri Western State Universit in St. Joseph, Mo.

Last season, 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 were the most of any NCAA Division II school in the country and topped many current NCAA Division I institutions.

The eight alums, which also include former linebacker Brady Sheldon and former two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner Jason Vander Laan, have all played in at least one NFL regular-season game over the past four years, which is the most of any D2 school in the nation. Three former Bulldogs were part of team's that made the NFL Conference Championship Games a year ago in Taylor, Zimmer and Edwards.