While the current Indiana football team heads north to East Lansing, Michigan, to face off against the Spartans on Saturday, nine former Hoosiers are preparing to play Sunday.
However, the players won’t be donning cream and crimson. They’ll step foot in some of the most beloved stadiums in the country with their NFL teams.
The most tenured Hoosier in the NFL is Rodger Saffold, the starting left guard of the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted in 2010 by the then-St. Louis Rams. This season he's tied with Dan Feeney with three sacks allowed. He also has no penalties against him.
Another of those players is Philadelphia Eagles running back Jordan Howard. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 draft and is third in the NFL in rushing yards since 2016. This summer he was traded from the Chicago Bears.
Howard’s 2019 season hasn’t gotten off to a great start with only 99 rushing yards and one touchdown in three games. During his career he has rushed for over 3,000 yards, according to Pro Football Reference. He was also on the 2018 NFC North Champion Chicago Bears team.
Another running back IU has produced is Tevin Coleman, who moved from the Atlanta Falcons to the 49ers this summer. Coleman was drafted in 2015 by the Falcons. In Atlanta, Coleman was in a running back by committee role with Devonta Freeman.
Coleman was injured in his first game this season, but before the injury he rushed for 23 yards on six attempts. Coleman will return following the 49ers bye week.
Over his career Coleman has rushed for over 2,000 yards. He was also on the Falcons Super Bowl team in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.
Left guard for the San Diego Chargers is another Hoosier, Dan Feeney, who was drafted in the 2016 draft in the third round. Feeney has started his last 19 games.
Feeney has only given up three sacks on quarterback Philip Rivers so far in 2019, which is tied for first in the NFL through three games this year, according to Pro Football Reference.
Cody Latimer is another who also wore the IU uniform during his college years. He was signed by the New York Giants to aid them in their loss of Odell Beckham Jr. due to injury last season. So far, Latimer has 106 receiving yards over three games. Latimer was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2014 draft.
There are also four former Hoosiers who are on a 53-man roster but don’t see much playing time. Nate Sudfeld is the backup quarterback on the Eagles. Sudfeld could potentially see some playing time if injury-prone Carson Wentz gets hurt.
Brandon Knight made the star-studded Cowboys’ roster after an impressive training camp. Wes Martin was drafted in the 2019 draft but lost the starting battle for the Washington Redskins. Ian Thomas is on the Panthers and looks to get some time off the bench in Carolina as a tight end.
