It always makes a collegiate community proud when it can look at the NFL and know that some of the guys in it used to sport their colors.
For Tulane, it can be particularly prideful in the fact that three of its alumni have a decent shot at joining an NFL squad next season. What’s more is that one of them may not be headed far at all.
Offensive lineman Arturo Uzdavinis will be sporting Houston colors in 2016 as he has agreed to terms with the Texans. The 6-foot-6, 316-pound lineman will get the chance to bolster a lesser-known Houston offensive line (at least compared to a defensive line that features J.J. Watt and Brian Cushing). With former Broncos star Brock Osweiler under center in the lone star state now, look for the kid from Tulane to play a part in keeping him upright.
At Tulane’s pro day earlier this year, Uzdavinis had a whopping 35-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-9 broad jump, both of which would have been tops in the O-lineman category at the NFL combine.
Then there’s 6-foot, 220-pound running back Rob Kelly and his signing with the Washington Redskins. While with the Green Wave, Kelly played in all 12 games his senior season and started in six of them.
In D.C., Kelly will be joining another Tulane alumni in receiver Ryan Grant. He will look to strengthen a Redskins team that’s coming off a division championship and trip to the postseason.
Finally, Royce LaFrance could make fans in the Big Easy perhaps the most proud of the Tulane class moving into the big leagues. The defensive end has accepted a training camp invite from New Orleans’ own Saints.
Whether or not LaFrance makes the final cut with the hometown Saints, he has already left a mark on the city of New Orleans. With Tulane, he wrote his way into the school’s record books. His 20 sacks are third best in program history while his 37 tackles for a loss are fourth. In each of his seasons with the Wave, LaFrance came out with at least six sacks.
Such consistency should help him as he tries out for a Saints team that is, at the moment, looking for answers on both sides of the ball.
What a story it would be if the kid from Tulane could cut it with the team from New Orleans. As it stands, whatever happens with these three Green Wave athletes, their college and community should be proud.
In the grand scheme of things, very few players even get the opportunity to get the chance to compete at a professional level. Royce LaFrance, Rob Kelly, and Arturo Uzdavinis have been given this opportunity. Only time will dictate whether or not they will become household names in the NFL.
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