Four Northeast-10 Football Student-Athletes Sign as NFL Undrafted Free Agents

Four Northeast-10 Football Student-Athletes Sign as NFL Undrafted Free Agents
Posted: May 19, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 19, 2014

SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – Since the conclusion of the 2014 National Football League Draft on May 10, four Northeast-10 Conference student-athletes have inked professional deals as NFL undrafted free agents.

American International College offensive lineman Viondy Merisma, Assumption College tight end Scott Simonson, University of New Haven tight end Michael Flacco and Southern Connecticut State University tight end Jerome Cunningham all signed free agent contracts with NFL organizations.

Merisma, who signed with the Tennessee Titans, was named the 2014 Northeast-10 Offensive Lineman of the Year after helping protect the league’s Most Valuable Player in quarterback Kevin Arduino, as the Yellow Jackets earned an NCAA bid and won the Northeast-10 title. The Waltham, Mass. native checks in at 6-4 and 285 lbs.

Simonson (pictured) signed with the Oakland Raiders, as the 6-5, 255-pounder will attend rookie camp and OTA’s with his new club. He was a 2013 Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference selection after leading the Greyhounds with 39 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns. Starting the last 31 games of his career, he finished with 104 career receptions for 1,537 yards and 15 touchdowns 

Flacco, the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, agreed to terms with the San Diego Chargers. After playing four seasons of professional baseball in the minor leagues with the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox organizations, Flacco joined the New Haven football team for one year this past fall and earned D2Football.com Honorable Mention All-America honors. He reeled in 30 passes for 591 yards with nine touchdowns last season.

Cunningham has been invited to participate in rookie mini-camp with the New Orleans Saints after participating in the NFL Super Regional combine at Ford Field in Detroit last month. He also took part in rookie mini-camp with the Indianapolis Colts last spring. He was a four-year member of the Owls squad and three-year starter, recording 61 catches for 690 yards and seven touchdowns in his career.

Information provided by Assumption, New Haven, Southern Connecticut Athletics Communications offices.

The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes. 

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