Central Michigan University Athletics
Nine Chippewas Will Take NFL Shot
5/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Three former Central Michigan football players have signed free-agent contracts with National Football League teams, and five others have accepted invitations for rookie camps.
Wide receiver Titus Davis has signed with the San Diego Chargers, running back Thomas Rawls inked a deal with the Seattle Seahawks and Jason Wilson ageed to join the Dallas Cowboys.
The five players who have accepted rookie camp invitations are Dean Butler and Justin Cherocci, both with the Detroit Lions; Andy Phillips, Green Bay Packers; and Kevin Henry and Mike Kinville, Atlanta Falcons.
All completed their CMU eligibility with the conclusion of the 2014 season as did defensive tackle Leterrius Walton, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday in the NFL Draft.
Walton was taken in the sixth round, the 199th pick overall.
Davis, one of the very best wide receivers ever to play at Central Michigan, holds CMU records for career receiving yardage (3,700) and touchdown receptions (37).
His final game in a Chippewa uniform was a six-catch, 142-yard, four-TD effort in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. His four TD receptions are both a CMU record and a Football Bowl Subdivision record.
Davis was injured early during his senior season and missed three full games. Still, his numbers -- 60 catches for 980 yards, a 16.3 yards-per-catch average -- were very good as he earned All-Mid-American Conference honors for the fourth time in his career.
Rawls proved himself one of the best backs in the MAC in his one and only season at CMU after transferring from Michigan. In just nine games, he rushed for 1,103 yards and scored 10 touchdowns.
Wilson is a cornerback and Cherocci a linebacker. They helped lead a defense, along with Walton, that ranked No. 1 overall in the MAC and 29th nationally last season.
Wilson made 51 tackles and two interceptions, and was second on the squad with seven pass breakups.
Cherocci, who went from a walk-on to one of the best linebackers in the MAC, made 117 tackles including four sacks and forced two fumbles, earning first team all-conference honors.
Phillips, a guard, and Henry, a tackle, were mainstays on an offensive line that paved the way for Rawls to rush for an average of 122.6 yards per game. Phillips started his final 42 consecutive games at CMU and was a two-time All-MAC selection.
Kinville averaged 8.6 yards per catch from his tight end position a year ago, while Butler, also a tight end, caught 30 passes for 424 yards.
In October, Butler was named a co-winner of the prestigious Bill Boyden Award, which goes to a student-athlete who exemplifies outstanding athletic achievement along with campus leadership, accomplishments in the arts and community involvement. He was also nominated to the Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.
