Despite not being picked in the 2013 NFL Draft, former IU defensive tackle Larry Black Jr. said he has signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Black, who called the Bengals his "hometown team", had previously worked out with the organization this spring and will be given the chance to make the 53-man roster by the end of the preseason. He announced his signing only hours after the Draft ended Saturday night.
"Man, this means the world to me," Black said. "To see all of my hard work I have put in throughout my football career - especially while at IU - pay off, it's a great feeling.
"I just felt like the Bengals would be a great spot. It would be an honor to play for my hometown team."
During his career at IU, Black played in all 48 games alongside defensive tackle Adam Replogle and recorded 127 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. In the 2012 season, Black was second on the team in both tackles for loss (12.0) and sacks (4.0).
Black is the first Hoosier to have been a member of the Bengals' organization since defensive end Victor Adeyanju, who was on the team during its 2010 season. His next step in the process toward making the full-time roster will be reporting to Bengals' rookie mini camp in mid-May.
"This is just the beginning; the start of something hopefully great," Black said. "I just have to improve and continue to get better as a player and set the tone of starting rookie camp feeling great"
