FSU All-America Tackle Dylan Pasquali Receives NFL Camp Invite From Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Big Rapids, Mich. - A third Ferris State University football standout has earned an opportunity to make a National Football League (NFL) roster as All-America offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali (Trenton) received a NFL rookie camp invitation from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following Saturday night's NFL Draft.
The 2021 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award recipient, Pasquali agreed to terms with the franchise and will head to Tampa Bay's rookie camp. He joins two other Bulldog national champion teammates with an opportunity thus far as former quarterback Jared Bernhardt (Longwood, Fla.) signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons after the draft and fellow offensive tackle Zein Obeid (Dearborn/Fordson) inked with the home state Detroit Lions.
This past fall, Pasquali was a consensus First Team All-America selection for the National Champion Bulldogs and claimed the Upshaw Award as the nation's top senior offensive or defensive lineman at the Division II level as presented by the Manheim Touchdown Club. An All-American throughout his career, Pasquali started every game last season and was a four-year letterwinner up front and multi-year starter for the Bulldogs. He helped Ferris State to more than 50 wins during his time on the field. He was also chosen this past fall as the GLIAC Offensive Lineman of the Year.
This past season, Pasquali played a key role up front as the Bulldogs led the country in both total offense and scoring offense en route to a perfect 14-0 campaign. In the 2021 campaign, he also claimed All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) First Team accolades and helped FSU roll up a nation-leading 512.6 total yards and a Division II best 47.2 points per game. FSU also ranked among the country's rushing leaders at 281.6 yards a contest during the national championship campaign.
The trio of Pasquali, Obeid and Bernhardt become 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 14 different former Bulldogs have now been invited to NFL Preseason Camps or signed free agent contracts over 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 25 former Ferris State players have previously inked NFL free agent deals, including Bernhardt and Obeid. 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.
Pasquali 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
14 - Alums have earned NFL camp invites since 2019
25 - Alums all-time have signed NFL free agent contracts