Ferris State Two-Time National Champion Caleb Murphy Signs With NFL's Tennessee Titans
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Big Rapids, Mich. - Standout All-America defensive end and two-time Ferris State University national champion Caleb Murphy (Dowagiac) will have an opportunity to continue his career in professional football as he agreed to a priority free agent contract with the National Football League's (NFL) Tennessee Titans immediately following the NFL Draft on Saturday.
Murphy joins five other Bulldog alums currently with NFL organizations. He was tabbed this past year as the 2022 Ted Hendricks Award recipient as the nation's top defensive end regardless of level and also recognized as the 2022 Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year Award winner and the Cliff Harris Award recipient as the nation's top small college defensive player.
The FSU standout 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 eight seasons in which they've played a campaign. A total of 15 different former Bulldogs have now been invited to NFL Preseason Camps or signed free agent contracts in the past four years.
The All-America end demolished the NCAA all-divisions record for single-season sacks, recording 25.5 last fall, and led all divisions with 39 tackles for loss, which matched the all-time single-season record for any NCAA level. Nearly half of Murphy's tackles this past season were for negative yards. He and his Ferris State teammates dominated opponents on their way to their second consecutive NCAA Division II championship. The Bulldog defense shut down the Colorado School of Mines, the division's top scoring offense, in the Division II championship game.
Murphy played the past two seasons on the field for the Bulldogs and recorded 40 sacks, 60.5 tackles for loss (353 yards), 156 total tackles and eight forced fumbles. His teams went 9-0 in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Murphy's accolades this past season along include being a First-Team AFCA D-II All-American, the sole defensive player named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award (D-II Player of the Year) and the GLIAC Player of the Year recipient. The consensus D2 National Defensive Player of the Year also represented Ferris State at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas and this year's NFL Combine.
Murphy led the Bulldogs to the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championship this past season in McKinney, Texas, as FSU topped the Colorado School of Mines 41-14 in the title game.
Prior to Murphy, the Bulldogs have had a total of 10 different players in a NFL Preseason Camp over the past two summers, which is the most of any D2 school in the country. The 'Dawgs who took part in NFL camps in either 2021 or 2022 have 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), DT Chris Okoye (LA Rams), receiver Jared Bernhardt (Atlanta), offensive tackle Zein Obeid (Detroit) and offensive tackle Dylan Pasquali (Tampa Bay).
Five Bulldog alums are currently still on NFL rosters, including Thomas (Houston), Sieler (Miami), Zimmer (Miami), Taylor (New York Jets) and Bernhardt (Atlanta), tops among all D2 schools. A total of 10 Bulldog alums, not counting Murphy, are playing in one of the major professional leagues at this time, including the NFL, XFL or USFL.
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 previous 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 eight consecutive years, excluding 2020 when FSU did not play the previous fall due to COVID-19. A total of 15 alumni have now earned camp invites over the past four 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 eight 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, Murphy becomes at least the 27th former Ferris State player to ink an NFL free agent deal. 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 while Bernhardt, Obeid and Pasquali garnered opportunities a year ago.
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.
This past season, along with capturing the D2 National Championship with 14-1 record, the Bulldogs also made the NCAA Divsion II Playoffs for the eighth consecutive time and reached the NCAA D2 National Semifinals for the fifth time in six seasons.
FSU also ranks as the country's winningest program over the past eight full seasons in D2 Football. Over the past two national championship seasons, the Bulldogs own a 28-1 overall record.
Bulldog NFL Fact List:
6 - Alums currently on NFL rosters
6 - Alums received NFL training camp invites in 2022
8 - Alums have played in NFL regular-season action since 2016
10 - Alums currently playing professionally in NFL, XFL or USFL
15 - Alums have earned NFL training camp invites since 2019
27 - Alums all-time have signed NFL free agent contracts