DeKalb County is well represented in the NFL with twelve alumni scattered across 10 pro rosters as the 2016 season opened last night.
The twelve players represent 10 percent of the total of 120 athletes from the state of Georgia who have reached the highest level of football. The twelve also represent 10 different colleges where they honed their skills and continued their education.
Stephenson has the most on the opening day rosters with four with Tucker following with two.
Bruce Irvin (LB, Raiders), Kelvin Sheppard (LB, Giants), Mike Davis (RB, 49ers) and Preston Smith (LB, Redskins) represent the Jaguar program.
Tucker’s Dwayne Harris (WR, Giants) and A.J. Bouye (CB, Texans) are the two Tigers to make NFL rosters this season.
The others include Arabia Mountain’s first professional player in Breshad Perriman making the Ravens’ roster, Cedar Grove’s Gerald Rivers (LB, Texans), Dunwoody’s Corey White (DB, Bills), Martin Luther King Jr.’s Kevin Byard (LB, Titans), McNair’s Robert Mathis (OLB, Colts) and Towers’ Da’Norris Searcy (SS, Titans).
Three former DCSD alums were signed to practice squads and could get a call to play include Mack Brown (MLK, RB, Redskins), Sentavius Jones (Tucker, WR, Chiefs) and Marcus Ball (Stephenson, S, Carolina).
Pos. | Player | High School | College | NFL |
WR | Breshad Perriman | Arabia Mountain | Central Fla. | Ravens |
LB | Gerald Rivers | Cedar Grove | Mississippi | Texans |
DB | Corey White | Dunwoody | Samford | Bills |
LB | Kevin Byard | M.L. King | LSU | Titans |
OLB | Robert Mathis | McNair | Alabama A&M | Colts |
LB | Bruce Irvin | Stephenson | West Virginia | Raiders |
LB | Kelvin Sheppard | Stephenson | LSU | Giants |
RB | Mike Davis | Stephenson | South Carolina | 49ers |
LB | Preston Smith | Stephenson | Mississippi State | Redskins |
SS | Da’Norris Searcy | Towers | North Carolina | Titans |
CB | A.J. Bouye | Tucker | Central Florida | Texans |
WR | Dwayne Harris | Tucker | East Carolina | Giants |
Practice Squads | ||||
RB | Mack Brown | M.L. King | Florida | Redskins |
WR | Sentavius Jones | Tucker | Valdosta St. | Chiefs |
S | Marcus Ball | Stephenson | Memphis | Carolina |