The opening week of the NFL preseason is in the books and it felt so good to have football back on our TVs. For the next two weeks, however, it won’t necessarily be all fun and games for several young men around the league. Lifelong dreams will be realized or crushed based on what happens in these exhibition contests. For the under-the-radar guys hailing from the country’s smaller schools, these matchups couldn’t be more important. In what is essentially a three-week job interview, these FCS standouts made a good first impression.
Patrick O’Connell, LB - Seattle (Montana)
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has a knack for finding hidden gems that didn’t get drafted, especially on defense.