Eleven Independence Bowl Alumni Taken in 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft took center stage of the sporting world this past weekend, and of the 259 players taken by the 32 National Football League franchises, 11 players played in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl during their college careers.

The 2021 NFL Draft took center stage of the sporting world this past weekend, and of the 259 players taken by the 32 National Football League franchises, 11 players played in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl during their college careers.

The class was headlined by the lone first-rounder of 2021, as former Miami Hurricanes defensive end Gregory Rousseau was selected with the 30th overall pick in the first round on Thursday night. Rousseau became the 73rd former Independence Bowl player to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Along with Rousseau, the Independence Bowl alumni draft class featured two third-round selections, three fourth-round picks, two fifth-round picks and three sixth-round selections. Duke and Florida State led the way, as they each had four players that played for them in the Independence Bowl with four players each, while Temple, Miami and Louisiana Tech each had one player that played for them in the Independence Bowl selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. The New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs each took two former Independence Bowl standouts on day three of the draft.

The complete list of former Independence Bowl players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft is as follows:

FIRST ROUND

• Gregory Rousseau (DE – Miami, 2019): 30th overall by the Buffalo Bills

THIRD ROUND

• Milton Williams (DT – Louisiana Tech, 2019): 73rd overall by the Philadelphia Eagles
• Tre’ McKitty (TE – Florida State, 2017): 97th overall by Los Angeles Chargers

FOURTH ROUND

• Chris Rumph II (EDGE – Duke, 2018): 118th overall by Los Angeles Chargers
• Janarius Robinson (EDGE – Florida State, 2017): 134th overall by Minnesota Vikings
• Joshua Kaindoh (DE – Florida State, 2017): 144th by Kansas City Chiefs

FIFTH ROUND

• Michael Carter II (CB – Duke, 2018): 154th by New York Jets
• Noah Gray (TE – Duke, 2018): 162nd by Kansas City Chiefs

SIXTH ROUND

• Hamsah Nasirildeen (SAF – Florida State, 2017): 186th by the New York Jets
• Victor Dimukeje (EDGE – Duke, 2017): 210th by the Arizona Cardinals
• Quincy Roche (EDGE – Temple, 2018): 216th by the Pittsburgh Steelers

Along with the 11 alumni selected in the seven-round 2021 NFL Draft, five players that played in the Independence Bowl signed as undrafted free agents.

UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS

• Deon Jackson (RB – Duke, 2018): Signed with Indianapolis Colts
• Tim Jones (WR – Southern Miss, 2017): Signed with Jacksonville Jaguars
• Branden Mack (WR – Temple, 2018): Signed with Denver Broncos
• Marvin Wilson (DT – Florida State, 2017): Signed with Cleveland Browns
• Kenny Yeboah (TE – Temple, 2018): Signed with New York Jets

The 11 players drafted in 2021 topped the list of nine alumni drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, and Rousseau was the first Independence Bowl alumni taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since Daniel Jones, Brian Burns and Garrett Bradbury were all selected in round one of the 2019 NFL Draft.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™:

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is the nation’s 11th-oldest bowl game – with the 45th edition slated for the 2021 Bowl Season. Louisiana Tech recorded the first shutout in the game’s history with a 14-0 victory over Miami in the 44th Independence Bowl in 2019. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a one-year extension with Radiance Technologies – ensuring they will be the title sponsor through 2025. The bowl’s conference and team agreements, as well as the television agreement, also run through the 2025 season. Army West Point and BYU are slated to matchup against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which will be televised on an ESPN network.

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @IndyBowl.