NEW ORLEANS – Houston Texans linebacker and 10-year veteran Neville Hewitt out of Marshall had one of the best games of his career to lead Sun Belt Conference alumni performances in Week 7 of the 2024 National Football League (NFL) season.
Making his second consecutive start, six of Hewitt’s game-high and season-best nine tackles were solo, as he also intercepted a pass on the fourth play of the game and returned it 45 yards to set up an eventual field goal by the Texans. Despite the 24-22 road loss to the Green Bay Packers, Hewitt also defended two passes in the game, while the interception was the fourth of his career.
An Arkansas State alumnus, five-time All-Pro linebacker and 13-year veteran Demario Davis of the New Orleans Saints tallied seven tackles in his 200th career game played in a 33-10 home defeat to the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. New York Giants defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches out of Southern Miss racked up a season-high six tackles including one tackle for loss in his team’s 28-3 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie cornerback Tyrek Funderburk out of App State earned his first professional start and compiled five tackles in a 41-31 home setback to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. Tennessee Titans third-year pro Darrell Baker Jr. out of Georgia Southern earned his first start of the season and contributed five tackles and one pass defended in a 34-10 road loss to the Buffalo Bills.
In the kicking game, Broncos kicker and Georgia State alum Will Lutz was responsible for 15 points after making all four of his field goal attempts from distances of 32, 38, 46 and 52 yards while converting two extra points. Bills kicker Tyler Bass out of Georgia Southern scored 10 points on two field goals from 28 and 30 yards, respectively, and four extra points.
Saints kicker and Arkansas State product Blake Grupe scored four points on one field goal and an extra point, as Atlanta Falcons kicker and Georgia Southern alum Younghoe Koo added two extra points in the team’s 34-14 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Eighty-five Sun Belt football alumni held roster spots across all 32 NFL rosters during the seventh week of the regular season with 53 on active rosters, 25 on practice squads and seven on injured or other reserve lists. In Week 7 action, 40 saw game action with 17 earning a start for their respective teams. Four additional Sun Belt alums on active rosters were on bye weeks.
App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals (1 G, 4 Tackles)
Darrynton Evans – RB, Buffalo Bills (DNP)
Tyrek Funderburk – CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Tackles)
Nick Hampton – LB, Los Angeles Rams (1 G)
* Anderson Hardy – OL, Miami Dolphins
Cooper Hodges – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G)
* Shaun Jolly – CB, Los Angeles Rams
D’Marco Jackson – LB, New Orleans Saints (1 G)
Kendall Lamm – OL, Miami Dolphins (1 G)
Sam Martin – P, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Punts, 197 Yards)
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS)
* Jalen Virgil – WR, Buffalo Bills
^ Bucky Williams – OL, Los Angeles Chargers
Arkansas State
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 7 Tackles)
Blake Grupe – K, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS, 1-for-1 FG, 1-for-1 XP)
Coastal Carolina
C.J. Brewer – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (DNP)
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens (1 G, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards)
Georgia Southern
Darrell Baker Jr. – CB, Tennessee Titans (1 G, 1 GS, 5 Tackles, 1 Pass Defended)
Shemar Bartholomew – CB, Carolina Panthers (1 G)
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills (1 G, 1 GS, 2-for-2 FG, 4-for-4 XP)
* Raymond Johnson III – DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons (1 G, 1 GS, 0-for-1 FG, 2-for-2 XP)
^ NaJee Thompson – CB, Minnesota Vikings
Kindle Vildor – CB, Detroit Lions (1 G)
Georgia State
Travis Glover – OL, Green Bay Packers (DNP)
Wil Lutz – K, Denver Broncos (1 G, 1 GS, 4-for-4 FG, 3-for-3 XP)
James Madison
* Liam Fornadel – OL, New England Patriots
* Jamree Kromah, DE, Chicago Bears
Aaron Stinnie – OL, New York Giants (1 G)
Isaac Ukwu – DE, Detroit Lions (1 G, 1 GS, 1 Tackle)
* Mike Greene – DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 3 Tackles)
Kevin Dotson – OL, Los Angeles Rams (1 G, 1 GS)
* Eric Garror – CB, Seattle Seahawks
Robert Hunt – OL, Carolina Panthers (1 G, 1 GS)
* Andre Jones Jr. – DE, Washington Commanders
* Jacob Kibodi – RB, New Orleans Saints
* Johnny Lumpkin – TE, Green Bay Packers
^ Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers
Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets (DNP)
John Stephens Jr. – TE, Dallas Cowboys (Bye Week)
^ Nathan Thomas – OL, Dallas Cowboys
Marshall
* Micah Abraham – CB, Cincinnati Bengals
Rasheen Ali – RB, Baltimore Ravens (DNP)
* Josh Ball – OL, Dallas Cowboys
* Abraham Beauplan – LB, Detroit Lions
Ethan Driskell – OL, Kansas City Chiefs (DNP)
Neville Hewitt – LB, Houston Texans (1 G, 1 GS, 9 Tackles, 2 Passes Defended, 1 Interception, 45 Return Yards)
Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs (1 G, 3 Tackles)
Elias Neal – LB, Los Angeles Rams (1 G)
Dalton Tucker – OL, Indianapolis Colts (1 G, 1 GS)
Old Dominion
Tre Hawkins III – CB, New York Giants (1 G, 4 Tackles)
* Marcus Haynes – DE, Cleveland Browns
Taylor Heinicke – QB, Los Angeles Chargers (DNP)
* Zack Kuntz – TE, New York Jets
Rick Lovato – LS, Philadelphia Eagles (1 G)
Zach Pascal – WR, Arizona Cardinals (1 G)
Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints (1 G, 1 GS)
Stone Smartt – TE, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 1 Reception, 31 Yards)
* Blake Watson – RB, Denver Broncos
^ Oshane Ximines – LB, New England Patriots
South Alabama
* Carter Bradley – QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Gerald Everett – TE, Chicago Bears (Bye Week)
Darrell Luter Jr. – CB, San Francisco 49ers (DNP)
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders (1 G, 1 Tackle, 1 Forced Fumble)
* Jamie Sheriff – LB, Seattle Seahawks
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys (Bye Week)
Southern Miss
* Swayze Bozeman – LB, Kansas City Chiefs
Natrone Brooks – CB, Atlanta Falcons (1 G)
* Jason Brownlee – WR, New York Jets
* Frank Gore Jr. – RB, Buffalo Bills
Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 G)
Tarvarius Moore – S, Chicago Bears (Bye Week)
Nick Mullens – QB, Minnesota Vikings (DNP)
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, New York Giants (1 G, 1 GS, 6 Tackles, 1 Tackle for Loss)
* Cameron Tom – C, Cleveland Browns
* Quez Watkins – WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Texas State
Aaron Brewer – OL, Miami Dolphins (1 G, 1 GS)
Kyle Hergel – OL, New Orleans Saints (1 G)
Troy
^ Jake Andrews – OL, New England Patriots
^ Buddha Jones – NT, Seattle Seahawks
Dell Pettus – S, New England Patriots (1 G)
Javon Solomon – EDGE, Buffalo Bills (1 G)
* Reddy Steward – CB, Chicago Bears
Kimani Vidal – RB, Los Angeles Chargers (1 G, 3 Rushes, 10 Yards, 1 Reception, 10 Yards)
*Practice Squad
^Injured & Other Reserve