South Dakota Has Significant Presence in the National Football League

Matt Chatham receiving congratulations from U.S. President George W. Bush

South Dakota Football has a rich tradition of excellence. One measure of that success is the high number of Coyotes that have competed in the National Football League. Wagner, S.D., native Frank McCormick was the first player (first South Dakotan) to play professional football in 1920 with the Akron Indians. Later Ordell Braase, originally of Mitchell, S.D., made his way to the NFL. Drafted in the 14th round by the Baltimore Colts, he was a member of two world championship teams (1958, 1959) and played in the 1968 Super Bowl. John Kohler, a 6-6, 255-pound offensive tackle and two-time All-American, was drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos. Kohler’s selection is the highest a Coyote has been drafted.

Matt Chatham in Action

Currently, seven former Coyotes have made a name for themselves amongst the NFL elite. USD alumni in the NFL include Matt Chatham of the New England Patriots. Many of the top football players in the world spend their entire lives trying to attain the goal of becoming a world champion. During his five seasons in the pros, Chatham has been a member of three Super Bowl championship teams with the New England Patriots. In his career with New England, the 1998 USD graduate has recorded 38 total tackles on defense and 54 tackles on special teams. The Sioux City, Iowa, native recorded two tackles in the Patriots 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX and had two tackles in the Super Bowl XXXVIII win over the Carolina Panthers. He also was a member of New England’s Super Bowl XXXVI win over St. Louis. As a result of the Super Bowl titles, Chatham has had the opportunity to be part of a trip to the White House and receive congratulations from U.S. President George W. Bush. Chatham was Academic All-NCC in 1996-98 at USD.

Running back Jamel White, who earned All-American honors and set a school record with 1,796 yards rushing and had 24 TDs in 1999 at USD, is in his sixth season in the NFL. He played for the Cleveland Browns for four seasons before spending last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens. He has signed to play with the Detroit Lions in 2006. In the NFL, White has rushed for 1,406 yards on 376 carries and scored nine TDs. Throughout his career, he has returned 55 kickoffs for 1,145 yards, while catching 170 passes for 1,290 yards and two TDs.

Josh Stamer is entering his third season with the Buffalo Bills. Stamer is one of the Bills most productive special teams players, while serving as the backup strong-side linebacker. In his two seasons with the Bills, he has 12 total tackles (seven solo). On special teams, Stamer has 46 (22 solo) in his career, including 29 during the 2004 season when he was second on the team in that category. Signed as a free agent in 2003, Stamer holds an undergraduate degree in business administration and a Master’s degree in professional accounting from USD. He was an All-NCC linebacker in 2000 and a two-time academic all-league pick (1999, 2000).

Filip Filipovic, who had signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this past winter, was the starting punter for the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. He had 65 punts for 2,640 yards (40.6yds/punt). He placed 14 punts inside the 20 yard line. Filipovic was an Academic All-NCC selection in 2000 when he finished sixth in the nation in punting.

Offensive lineman Josh Burr is on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster for the third year. Defensive back Dwight Anderson is with the Carolina Panthers. Anderson earned a roster spot as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Rams in 2004. The Broomfield, Conn., native, played in 12 games for the Rams and had a season-high five tackles against Atlanta. He was claimed off waivers by Carolina in August 2005. Running back Jason Anderson is with the Houston Texans. Anderson was allocated to NFL Europe in 2004 and was drafted by the Amsterdam Admirals.

Coyotes in the NFL

Frank McCormick (1920, Akron Indians)
Gene Vidal (1925, New York Giants; Washington Redskins)
Ordell Braase (1957-68, drafted in 14th round by the Baltimore Colts, two-time All-Pro, NFL Players Association President), Defensive Lineman
Carl Johnson (1957, Detroit Lions; 1958, Kitchner, CFL), Running Back
John Kohler (3rd Round, 1969, Denver Broncos), Offensive Lineman
Steve Pelot (New England, 1970), Running Back
Tony Glass (1971, Minnesota Vikings), Offensive Lineman
Gary Kipling (Atlanta Falcons, 1973), Offensive Tackle
Gene Macken (St. Louis Cardinals, 1973), Offensive Tackle
Johnny Vann (10th round, Washington, 1973-74), Defensive Back
Gregg Erickson (1974, Chicago Bears), Running Back
Dwight Duncombe (1974, Atlanta Falcons), Wide Receiver
John Sanders (1974-76, New England; 1977-79, Philadelphia Eagles), Defensive Back
Clyde McCormick (1978, Buffalo Bills; 1979, Oakland Raiders), Defensive Back
Mike Maguire (1978, Winnipeg, CFL), Running Back
Bill Moats (1979, Green Bay), Defensive Back
Dave Schwab (1980, Green Bay Packers), Defensive Tackle
Ben Long (10th round, 1980, Miami Dolphins), Linebacker
Craig Austin (10th round, 1982, Seattle Seahawks; 1983, LA Express), Linebacker
Brian Barnes (1980, Houston Oilers), Running Back
Jeff Davis (1984, Denver Broncos; 1985, San Diego Chargers), Defensive Back
Duke Schamel (1985, Los Angeles Rams), Linebacker
Mike Slaton (1986, 9th Round, Minnesota Vikings; 1987, New York Jets), Defensive Back
Chul Schwanke (11th Round, 1986, Los Angeles Rams), Running Back
Rod Tweet (1986, Atlanta Falcons; 1987, Cincinnati Bengals), Wide Receiver
Eric Maxson (1986, St. Louis Cardinals), Offensive Tackle
Tim McFarland (1987, St. Louis Cardinals), Offensive Lineman
Jerry Gilinsky (1987, Miami Dolphins), Offensive Lineman
Robb White (1987, New York Giants; Washington Redskins), Defensive Lineman
Dave Elle (1987, St. Louis Cardinals), Tight End
Kaseem McCullough (1993, CFL), Cornerback
Jamel White (1999, Indianapolis Colts; 1999, Cleveland Browns; 2004, Tampa Bay Bucs; 2005 Detroit Lions), Running Back
Matt Chatham (1999, St. Louis Rams, New England Patriots), Linebacker
Josh Stamer (2000, New York Giants; 2002, Buffalo Bills), Linebacker
Josh Burr (2002, Pittsburgh Steelers), Offensive Lineman
Filip Filipovic (2002, Dallas Cowboys; 2003, San Francisco 49ers, 2004, Minnesota Vikings; 2005 Philadelphia Eagles), Punter
Dwight Anderson (St. Louis Rams, 2004; Carolina Panthers, 2005)
Jason Anderson (Dallas Texans, 2004)

Note: If not noted by round, player signed as free agent