2021 NFL Season Starts With 24 Cal Affiliates
BERKELEY – Cal has 24 football student-athletes who finished their collegiate careers with the Golden Bears affiliated with NFL teams including 14 on active NFL rosters at the beginning of the league's 2021 campaign that starts Thursday when Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay hosts Dallas (8:20 pm ET/5:20 pm PT, NBC).
Punter Bryan Anger will look to become the first Cal affiliate to participate in a 2021 NFL regular-season game and make his Cowboys' debut in the contest, while the league's 2020 MVP Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers travel to New Orleans on Sunday to take on fellow Pro Bowler Cameron Jordan and the New Orleans Saints.
Other Golden Bears to start the 2021 season on active NFL rosters include another 2020 Pro Bowler in Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers, WR) as well as Tyson Alualu (Pittsburgh Steelers, DE), Stephen Anderson (Los Angeles Chargers, TE), Camryn Bynum (Minnesota Vikings, S), Jake Curhan (Seattle Seahawks, OT), Jared Goff (Detroit Lions, QB), Jaylinn Hawkins (Atlanta Falcons, S), DeSean Jackson (Los Angeles Rams, WR), Marvin Jones Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars, WR), Alex Mack (San Francisco 49ers, C) and Patrick Mekari (Baltimore Ravens, G).
Cal also has one former player on injured reserve in New York Jets' safety Ashtyn Davis and five on practice squads in Ian Bunting (Dallas Cowboys, TE), Jordan Kunaszyk (Washington Football Team, OLB), Patrick Laird (Miami Dolphins, RB), Jordan Veasy (Houston Texans, WR) and Davis Webb (Buffalo Bills, QB).
In addition, four Cal players are currently coaching in the NFL including three with the Washington Football team in head coach Ron Rivera, defensive quality control assistant Vincent Rivera and assistant defensive backs coach Richard Rodgers Sr., while Austin Clark is the defensive line coach for the Miami Dolphins.
Kenny Lawler (Winnipeg Blue Bombers, WR) is playing in the Canadian Football League, while Giorgio Tavecchio is kicker for the Barcelona Dragons of the European League of Football.