| 9/5/2024 | Football BOCA RATON, Fla. – The 2024 NFL season begins Thursday, Sep. 5. Florida Atlantic will be represented around the league with several former Owls set to take on significant roles for their respective team. Currently, five FAU players are represented on an NFL team’s 53-man roster with an additional three on a practice squad. Here is a preview of each player’s upcoming season (All gametimes listed below are Eastern): Active Owls (5) #0 Azeez Al-Shaair | LB | Houston Texans – No one has been better at defying the odds than the beloved former Owl Al-Shaair, who in the pros has worked his way from an undrafted free agent to a key starter. On a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans in 2023, he put forth a career season with 163 tackles, placing fifth in the NFL. This earned him a three-year, $34 million contract with the Houston Texans as they look to make a Super Bowl run. Ahead of his first season on his new squad, Al-Shaair has already made his mark on Houston’s roster, being named a team captain. First Game: at Indianapolis – Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS) View this post on InstagramA post shared by Houston Texans (@houstontexans) #84 Harrison Bryant | TE | Las Vegas Raiders – It will be a change of scenery for Bryant, who joins the Raiders after four seasons with Cleveland. The 26-year-old has made 30 career starts and has caught 10 touchdowns, three of them occurring in the most recent 2023 season. First Game: at L.A. Chargers – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. (CBS) #91 Trey Hendrickson | DE | Cincinnati Bengals – Hendrickson has yet again taken his game to the next level. His 2023 saw him crush his career high in sacks with 17.5, tied for second in the NFL, on the way to his third consecutive Pro Bowl appearance. Now firmly entrenched as one of the top edge rushers in the NFL, Hendrickson will look to help guide the Bengals back to the playoffs. First Game: vs. New England – Sunday, 1 p.m. (CBS) #43 Matthew Hayball | P | New Orleans Saints – Hayball, Florida Atlantic’s punter for the 2019 CUSA Championship team and Special Teams MVP in the same season’s Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl, won the punting job for the New Orleans Saints. He joins Al-Shaair as the other former Owl to currently be on an NFL roster after going previously undrafted. First Game: vs. Carolina – Sunday, 1 p.m. (FOX) #26 Devin Singletary | RB | New York Giants – “Motor” earned a three-year, $16 million deal with the New York Giants after a career year with the Houston Texans in 2023. Taking over as the starting RB midway through the season, Singletary recorded a career-high 898 yards as he led Houston’s rushing attack on the way to a surprise playoff berth. First Game: vs. Minnesota – Sunday, 1 p.m. (FOX) Practice Squad (3) #66 Evan Anderson | DT | San Francisco 49ers – Anderson begins his NFL journey after his four seasons with FAU, where he established himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the nation. From his first year as a true freshman starter, he was an effective man in the middle of the Owls defense and will now look to help the reigning NFC champions. #31 Zyon Gilbert | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers – Gilbert enters his third year in the league. He spent his first two seasons with the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers practice squads and has been called up three times to play in a game. #73 Brandon Walton | OT | Carolina Panthers – Walton joins the Panthers practice squad after four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the last two on the active roster.Check fausports.com each Thursday to see how each Owl did the previous week along with a preview of their respective team’s next game. |
