May 15, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - UCF had more alumni in the NFL than any Conference USA team last year with 15. It can be easy to lose track of them all. Here are some updates.
The Chicago Bears have signed tight end Michael Gaines to a free agent contract. More of a blocking tight end, Gaines had considered signing with the New York Jets as well before coming to terms with Chicago. It will be the fourth team for Gaines, joining Carolina, Buffalo and Detroit, with whom he played in 2008. The five-year veteran Gaines has 79 career catches for 810 yards and five touchdowns.
Former quarterback Daunte Culpepper is involved in a good race to start for the Detroit Lions along with Drew Stanton and incoming top pick Matthew Stafford. DetroitLions.com has a look at the veteran signal caller showing his leadership by example over the summer.
Another Knight on the move is cornerback Travonti Johnson who has rejoined the New York Giants. Johnson had been added to the Giant practice squad in December and was signed to the team's regular roster. The Super Bowl XLII Champions have four Knights presently on their roster in Johnson, DT Leger Douzable, TE Darcy Johnson and S Sha'reff Rashad.
Rashad was recently highlighted in the Newark Star-Ledger for his fine play in the Giants' Rookie Camp. Rashad is one of four Knights from the 2008 team in NFL camps. Joe Burnett was a fifth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers and was recently highlighted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Free agent signees Patrick Brown (Carolina Panthers) and Jason Venson (Cleveland Browns) also recently completed Rookie Camps with their new NFL clubs and hope to make their respective teams.
UCF hopes to send still more players to the NFL and you can watch them compete for the Knights all season long by ordering your season tickets today. Either call (407) 823-1000 or check out the tickets page here at UCFAthletics.com for more information.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.