Tag Archives: NFL

May 1 2013

Mass. College Football: Locals Invited To NFL Rookie Mini Camps

Merrimack's Isaiah Voegeli signed his undrafted free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday! (Photo Credit: Merrimack College Athletics)

Merrimack’s Isaiah Voegeli signed his undrafted free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday! (Photo Credit: Merrimack College Athletics)

By Matt Noonan

As noted on our blog yesterday, Bentley University graduate student Nick Halloran was invited to this weekend’s New England Patriots’ Rookie Mini Camp.

“Just amazing news, not a better way to start the day,” Halloran told the Boston Globe on Tuesday.

Halloran isn’t the only local college football player to earn an invite to a rookie mini camp this weekend as Framingham State’s James Muirhead will attempt to earn a spot with the St. Louis Rams, while Middlebury College’s Ryan Moores, who prepped at Governor’s Academy, will tryout with the Atlanta Falcons.

“I’m braced for it,” Muirhead told the Brockton Enterprise on Tuesday. “I understand what’s going to happen. But you know what? I’m not there to make any friends. I’m there to compete. I’m going there to get a job.”

Merrimack College’s Isaiah Voegeli became the fourth player in program history to sign with a professional team as the Hyannis native inked his name on an undrafted free agent contract Monday with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity,” Voegeli said in the college’s release.  “I can’t thank head coach Dan Curran enough for his help and guidance and preparation to get me to this point. This is a dream come true that I’ve dreamt about since I was 7, to just have a shot and I’ve been blessed this opportunity.”

Voegeli will leave the North Andover campus as the all-time receiver in multiple receiving categories, which includes catches (211) and yards (3,554). He also ranks second in program history with 34 touchdown receptions, too.

Prior to this year’s NFL Draft, the Boston Herald reported that Muirhead, Voegeli and Moores, along with Assumption College’s Nick Haag and Boston College’s Jim Noel worked out with the Falcons, Patriots and New Orleans Saints.

Apr 30 2013

Mass. College Football: Bentley’s Halloran Invited To Patriots’ Rookie Mini Camp

By NoontimeSports.com 

Courtesy of the Bentley University sports information department, here’s this afternoon’s release about Nick Halloran, who was invited to the New England Patriots’ Rookie Mini Camp this weekend:

WALTHAM, Mass. – Former Bentley University offensive lineman Nick Halloran (Somerville/ Buckingham, Browne & Nichols) has been invited to participate in the New England Patriots’ Rookie Mini Camp this weekend.

Halloran, a six-foot-four, 302-pounder, started at tackle for Bentley the last three years after beginning his career at Boston College. He moved to the left side this past season after playing right tackle his first two years at Bentley.

Halloran earned first-team All-Northeast-10 honors in both 2011 and 2012, and was named to the 2012 Don Hansen Football Gazette Division II All-Super Region 1 team.  He was also a Football GazetteDivision II honorable mention All-America.

In 2012, Halloran helped the Bentley offense produce 388 yards and 26.3 points a game while controlling the ball for an average of 33 minutes.

“I was obviously very happy when Nick transferred from Boston College to play tackle for us,” said Bentley football coach Thom Boerman. “He has been a dominate lineman in the NE-10 since the day he arrived and he has played both right and left tackle to protect our QB’s blind side.  He has pro size, is very smart and is strong. Nick had quite a bit of interest from a number of NFL teams and I am glad that the Patriots invited a local player to their mini-camp. He has been working hard to prepare for this opportunity.”

Bentley has one player currently in the NFL, Dallas Cowboys’ offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau. He started every game for the Cowboys during the 2012 season, his fifth year in the league. 

Apr 27 2013

Mass. College Football: Baltimore Selects Harvard’s Juszczyk In NFL Draft

By NoontimeSports.com

Earlier this afternoon, the Baltimore Ravens selected Harvard’s Kyle Juszczyk in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and courtesy of the athletic department, below is the release about the Crimson fullback/tight end being drafted:

NEW YORK  – Harvard senior tight end Kyle Juszczyk has been selected in the fourth round of the 2013 National Football League Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Juszczyk was the 130th overall selection in this year’s draft.

During his four years in Cambridge, Juszczyk established new career records for tight end in receptions (125, sixth all-time), receiving yards (1,576, seventh all-time) and touchdown receptions (22, third all-time). He was a two-time All-American at tight end and H-Back for the Crimson and a three-time All-Ivy selection. Following his senior season, during which he led the Crimson in receptions (52), receiving yards (706) and receiving touchdowns (eight), he was invited to the Senior Bowl, where he carried the ball four times for nine yards, primarily being used as a H-back.

“Guys like Kyle Juszczyk do not grow on trees,” Tim Murphy, The Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football, said. “He will go down as one of the great players in Harvard and Ivy Football history. His rare combination of versatility, toughness, leadership and playmaking ability was one of the major catalysts for the highest scoring offense since the Ivy League was formed in 1956.”

The Medina, Ohio native showcased all of those traits on a single play that will live on in Harvard lore for years to come. After catching a ball over the middle against Bucknell this past, the senior bulldozed the first defender in his path. He then shed two arm tackles and stiff armed another defender before outrunning the rest of the Bison defense for a 59-yard touchdown in the Crimson’s 35-7 win. The play ended up on ESPN’s Sportscenter the following day as the No. 3 play in its top 10 segment.

Juszczyk becomes the fourth player drafted under Murphy. He joins Matt Birk ’98, who recently retired after winning the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens this past season, Isaiah Kacyvenski ’00 and Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05 as players who have heard their name called at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. Overall, he is the 20th Harvard player to get drafted and first since Fitzpatrick was picked by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 draft.

Harvard wrapped up its spring football season Saturday with its annual spring game and will now turn its head to the 2013 season opener at San Diego on Sept. 21.

Sep 4 2012

NFL 2012: AFC East Preview

By Matt Noonan 

The AFC East may not be the flashiest division this season, but don’t underestimate Buffalo, New York or Miami. All three teams have challenged the Patriots over the past few seasons, and can certainly provide the unnecessary head ache to Patriots coaches, fans and players, especially when they least expect it.

However, New England shouldn’t have a problem winning this division, but keep your eyes on the Bills and Jets.

1.) New England Patriots (12-4) – Some analysts believe this team may mimic their record-breaking performance from 2007, while others think they’re a shoe-in for this year’s Super Bowl. In order for the Patriots to be successful, they’ll need rookies Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower to pressure opposing quarterbacks and provide all sorts of havoc.

Will Chandler Jones be the Patriots most valuable defensive player this season? We’ll see! (Photo Credit: Zimbio.com)

2.) Buffalo Bills (9-7) – The Bills bolted out of the gate last season, but couldn’t maintain their momentum, as injuries and errors derailed their chances of a successful season. This year, Buffalo added Mario Williams and Mark Anderson to their defense, and drafted two potential studs in Cordy Glenn and Stephon Gilmore. The usual cast is back on offense – Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and Steve Johnson, but the main question from last year remains: Can they stay healthy? Also, can they be consistent, too?

3.) New York Jets (7-9) – No offense Jets fans, but your team is in complete disarray. New York didn’t locate the end zone until their fourth preseason game, and there’s still questions surrounding their offense and defense. Yet, probably one of the biggest sagas surrounding this team is when will Rex Ryan swap Tim Tebow for Mark Sanchez?

4.) Miami Dolphins (5-11) – There will be a lot of ups and downs this season for the Dolphins, but expect Miami to conclude their year with at least four or five wins.

Sep 4 2012

Program Note: NFL 2012 Predictions

By NoontimeSports.com 

It’s that time again. School is back in session, parents are headed back to work and those long lines at the ice cream parlor are dwindling.

Football season has returned to New England, as well as the rest of the country. And this year, similar to last, Noontime Sports will be unveiling its preseason predictions, along with a Super Bowl thought, too.

Feel free to email your ideas or predictions to NoontimeSports@gmail.com or send us a tweet @NoonSportsBlog or @NoontimeSports.

Aug 21 2012

Merrimack’s Coach Perry On Loiseau, NE-10 Players Attempting NFL Dream

Merrimack’s Shawn Loiseau is attempting to earn a spot with the Houston Texans for the upcoming 2012 NFL season! (Photo Credit: Boston Herald)

By Matt Noonan 

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – For the past few weeks and months, Merrimack College’s football program has received a lot of publicity, mainly because of their former linebacker Shawn Loiseau, who was an undrafted rookie free agent that was claimed by the Houston Texans.

Loiseau, who has played in two preseason contests this summer, has been an inspiration for many Warriors players that hope to continue their playing careers after graduation.

This past Friday, I had the chance to chat with head coach John Perry about the Pro Day workout for NFL scouts, which he spearheaded, as well as his thoughts about Northeast-10 players and Division II players that attempt to earn a spot on a professional roster.

Last season, you organized Merrimack’s first Pro Day workout for NFL scouts, and I was wondering if you could talk about how it was assembled? How do you think it helped the various players from the school or nearby? 

“One of the things that’s great  [is our coaching staff] has been preaching to these kids — whether it’s President [Christopher] Hopey right through the athletic department — taking this thing to another level, and the kids have responded to that and obviously Shawn brought a lot of attention to the school, but James Suozzo, as well as Tony Johnson did, and we’re looking for the next guy, so as we’re coming into that  – we had all 32 teams, who came in and scouted those guys during the season and there was a strong demand to have scouts comeback and work our guys, and I thought it took on a life of its own. We had some players from some other schools, so it was really exciting and every day we just want to take steps forward to making this a premier program and I think those seniors have done that and all the seniors in the past have done that, and we’re on their backs and these guys are carrying on that tradition.”     

From a coaching perspective, what does it mean to you to have not only a player from your program, but also NE-10 players competing for a job in the NFL?

“I think it’s a lot for the Northeast-10 Conference. This is a great conference, and people come out and watch us play notice that we’ve got great caliber football. There’s been a lot of things at the Division I level, [and] there’s less Division I schools in this New England area than there ever has, which has built up the Division II level of football. There are guys like Shawn Loiseau, Tony Johnson and there are guys littered throughout our league that is Division I players that are now playing Division II football. We’ve got great caliber football, it’s a work-horse league where the team who shows up and plays the hardest has the best chance to win and it’s a great level of football, great talent, great coaching, [and] I think it’s a great tribute to the Northeast-10.”

I know that you’re focus is on preparing your squad for the upcoming season, but have you been able to track Shawn’s progress this summer?

“Well, he gives me updates and things like that, and coach [Dan] Curran has been staying in touch with him, and he’s just really excited to be there. He’s just a great example for our kids because there’s no wasted moments for him now. Every moment is everything he’s got, and these kids see that and they were all texting me during [the Texans first preseason] game, but it was exciting to see his stat line and all the texts he sent me and telling me how it was and how it felt to be on the field, and he belongs there. He deserves to be there, he doesn’t look out of place and we wish him all the luck in the world.”

Aug 10 2012

New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints (Post-Game Links)

The New England Patriots earned their first preseason win on Thursday, as they defeated the New Orleans Saints, 7-6! (Photo Credit: SportsNola.com)

By Matt Noonan 

Thursday’s preseason match between the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints is officially in the books, as the Pats earned a 7-6 victory. New England will return to the gridiron in 10 days when they host the Philadelphia Eagles, but before that particular kick-off, here are some links/stories from their one-point victory.

* ESPNBoston’s Mike Reiss provides an interesting analysis on the game with a few good, bad and ugly moments.

* The Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young crafted a piece about Dane Fletcher, who apparently tore his ACL on special teams.

* In case you’re looking for the AP recap — NFL.com has it on their website.

* The Metro West Daily News has an interesting take on the Patriots first preseason game, as well as the play of Tom Brady, too.

* In Friday’s Boston Herald, Jeff Howe wrote about the Patriots defense, which only surrendered two field goals in a span of 60 minutes. Also, Karen Guregian provides an interesting take on Brandon Lloyd‘s first game.

Aug 3 2012

Happy Birthday, Tom Brady!

Tom Brady celebrates his 35th Birthday on Friday, August 3. (Photo Credit: NFLPassers.com)

By NoontimeSports.com

Today, Friday, August 3, marks New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s 35th Birthday. And despite his urge to continue learning and improving, he certainly has a lot to celebrate, and be proud of, too.

Ever since he became a member of the National Football League, Brady has won three Super Bowl titles, and five American Football Conference championships. He’s also a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro.

Since the Patriots drafted him in 2000, he’s tallied 39,979 passing yards, 300 touchdowns, and 3,397 completions.

His best year as a pro came during the 2007 season when he broke the single-season touchdown record with 50 strikes to the end zone. Randy Moss collected 23 touchdowns that year, which catapulted him past Jerry Rice as the single-season leader in touchdown receptions.

Last season, Brady led his unit to Super Bowl XLVI, but sadly, the outcome was rather similar to Super Bowl XLII, as the New York Giants defeated New England, 21-17.

This year, the New England gunslinger seems more poised than ever, and certainly appears hungry for his fourth ring.

The Patriots begin their season on Sunday, September 9, when they travel to Tennessee to face the Titans.

Jun 28 2012

NFL Announces Time Changes For Double-Headers On CBS and FOX

By NoontimeSports.com 

As noted by ESPNBoston and the Boston Herald — the NFL announced on Thursday that games slated for 4:15PM will be moved to 4:25PM. However, if a contest is currently scheduled for 4:05PM, it’ll remain scheduled.

The New England Patriots will have two of its games bumped back against the Denver Broncos (Week 5/Oct. 7) and New York Jets (Week 7/Oct. 21) — both matches will be played at Gillette Stadium.

Reports by both outlets explained that later start times for double-headers on CBS and FOX will allow fans to watch the entirety of both games.

The NFL provided data that showed 44 of its 1PM games from 2009-11 finished later 4:15PM. Those games were switched to the second game of the networks double-header, but had this new rule been intact during those seasons, 15 of them would have been  turned off early.

Jun 26 2012

Patriots 2012 NFL Training Camp Starts July 26

By NoontimeSports.com 

The New England Patriots announced on Tuesday that their 2012 training camp will begin on Thursday, July 26 at 1:30PM. That particular session will be opened to the public.

Also, the afternoon practices on July 27, 28, and 29 will be opened to fans, too. All four practices will begin at 1:30PM and conclude at 4:00PM.

Additional practice dates will be announced soon. For more information on the Patriots training camp — CLICK HERE.