The sweltering heat of training camp is in the rearview mirror, with NFL teams now turning the focus to their regular-season openers.
And rosters throughout the league are dotted with former Shore Conference players seeking to help their respective teams win a championship.
In fact, it’s one of the biggest contingents of area athletes competing at the highest level of the sport ever, with 10 either on an active roster, a practice squad or the injured reserve list.
More:46 ex-Shore Conference stars playing Division I football in 2022
Here’s a look at the players from Monmouth and Ocean counties in the NFL, in alphabetical order:
Anthony Brown on his progress: pic.twitter.com/XcNKl0Y5TL
An undrafted rookie free agent out of Oregon, Brown was so impressive during the preseason he earned a spot on the practice squad to start the season. Brown, who threw for 4,496 yards in high school, was 35-of-47 for 464 yards and three TDs in this summer’s exhibition games.
Curry, who landed on the injured reserve list (hamstring) and is eligible to return after four games, is entering his 11th season. A second-round pick by the Eagles in 2012, Curry has 32.5 sacks and 194 tackles in 123 career games.
Firkser will begin his fifth NFL season on the Falcons’ practice squad. An undrafted free agent out of Harvard, Firkser caught 106 passes for 1,107 yards and five TDs in four seasons with the Titans, before signing with the Falcons during the offseason.
The subject of trade rumors during training camp, Gesicki heads into his fifth season as one of the league’s top tight ends. A second-round pick out of Penn State in 2018, Gesicki comes off the best season of his career, catching 73 passes for 780 yards and a pair of scores.
The former Rutgers tight end is in his 14th season, and 13th as the Bengals’ long snapper. Harris played in Super Bowl LVI in February, as the Bengals lost to the Rams, 16-7. Harris has no unplayable snaps in 1,876 attempts with the Bengals, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017.
The 27-year-old was placed on season-ending injured reserve at the end of training camp. A former undrafted free agent out of James Madison, Hyman made his only two career catches in 2019 with the Bucs.
Entering his ninth season, and seventh as the Eagles’ long snapper, the former undrafted free agent from Old Dominion won Super Bowl LII with the Eagles during the 2017 season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2019.
The sixth pick overall in the 2018 NFL Draft after an All-American career at Notre Dame, Nelson has established himself as arguably the best offensive guard in the league. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl and been an All-Pro pick in each of his first four seasons.
The 20th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, Pickett comes off a strong preseason in a battle with veteran Mitch Trubisky to be the starter on opening day. Pickett was third in the Heisman Trophy voting last year in his final season at Pitt, after throwing for 4,670 yards at Ocean.
Russell, now a 27-game NFL veteran, last week was signed to Pittsbugh’s practice squad after being released by Jacksonville. He was the 241st overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 2015 Lakewood High School graduate and Temple University star is believed to be the first Lakewood product to ever be selected in the NFL Draft.
Taylor was one of the biggest surprises during the Chargers’ training camp, making the team as an undrafted rookie free agent. The former Wake Forest standout played in a program-record 62 career games for the Demon Deacons, with 185 tackles and six interceptions.
