Devin McCourty talks all things New England Patriots
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Former University of Maryland lacrosse star and undrafted NFL rookie Jared Bernhardt officially made the cut and will be on the 53-man roster of the Atlanta Falcons.
The franchise announced its initial 53-man roster Tuesday, which included the 24-year-old wide receiver.
Bernhardt flashed athleticism in training camp for the Falcons, catching five passes for 102 yards and one touchdown in Atlanta’s three preseason games. His 21-yard touchdown grab with 1:30 left in the team’s preseason opener on Aug. 12 against the Detroit Lions ended up standing as the game-winning score and helped the Falcons to a 27-23 victory. The play came on a fourth-and-9 in which Bernhardt improvised as rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder scrambled out of the pocket.
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Ridder was desperate as the play broke down when the receiver to his left that was targeted for a fade pass was jammed at the line of scrimmage. Bernhardt (6-1, 195) ran across the end zone and positioned himself in front of a defender to provide an alternative target.
“I don’t know it it’s a lacrosse move,” Bernhardt said about the touchdown. “Just trying to compete and go get the ball. That’s my job. Get open and catch the ball. I was just trying to do my job.”
Bernhardt finished his lacrosse career at Maryland as the program’s all-time leader in points (290), goals (202), single-season points (99), single-season goals (71), goals in a single NCAA Tournament (18) and points in a single NCAA Tournament (24). He was the winner of the 2021 Tewaaraton Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse players.
Last year, with his lacrosse eligibility completed, he played his only season of college football as a grad student – and option quarterback. He led Ferris State to an undefeated season (14-0) and Division II national championship. In the title-game blowout of Valdosta State, he didn’t throw a single pass, running for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
In 10 games for the Bulldogs, Bernhardt completed 70.7% of his passes for 1,322 yards with 11 touchdowns against five interceptions. He also ran for 1,421 yards with 26 rushing scores.
Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET marked the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters from 80 players to 53, which is the number teams play at during the season. With that said, roster construction in the NFL will continue to be in flux over the next several days as teams look to strengthen their clubs with waiver claims and free agent signings from the several hundred players who were released Tuesday.
Bernhardt wouldn’t be the first former lacrosse star looking to carve out a career in the NFL. Recently, Chris Hogan played 10 seasons in the league for the Bills, Patriots, Panthers, Jets and Saints after starring in lacrosse at Penn State.
Contributing: Jarrett Bell
