LAS VEGAS, N.M. – New Mexico Highlands football will have not one, but two former players in rookie camps in the NFL this weekend. Wide receiver
Tyler Slavin signed as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Rams while linebacker
Jared Koster was invited to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie camp.
"We have a proud history in the NFL here at New Mexico Highlands and are excited to add two more players to the Cowboys' tradition," Head Coach
Jeff Mills said. "From Lionel Taylor to Carl Garrett to Don Woods to Jordan Campbell currently, it is such a great honor for not only Tyler and Jared, but this University as a whole.
"Soon, the Highlands coaching staff will be hitting the recruiting trail hard so we can bring young men to Las Vegas to carry the Cowboy banner into the NFL in the future," added Mills.
Besides the aforementioned players, the Highlands football program boasts eight other players who have played in the NFL: Chuck Cowan, Anthony Edwards, Len Garrett, Reggie Garrett, Monte Crockett, Sam Williams, Mark Cotney and Bill Miller.
The Cowboys has the distinction of being the only NCAA Division II program with a pair of players who were either an AFL or NFL Rookie of the Year honoree: Carl Garrett in 1969 with the Boston Patriots and Don Woods in 1974 with the San Diego Chargers. Reggie Garrett has two Super Bowl Rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974 and 1975.
Speaking of the newest additions on the list, Director of Football Operations/Defensive Line Coach
Tony Pavlic – who was an assistant coach during both Koster and Slavin's playing days – said, "It was really great to have Jared in our program for the past three seasons and Tyler the past two. Both had fantastic careers with the Cowboys, and have gone above and beyond in their training processes since the season as they look to go to the next level and go on to the next chapters in their lives."
Koster ended a three-year career with the Cowboys this past season, and what a season it was. He broke the NCAA Division II single-season solo tackles record with 104. He also ranked fourth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season annals with 172 total tackles. Koster led the nation, regardless of division, in solo tackles per game (9.5) and led NCAA Division II and was second in the nation (regardless of division) with 15.6 total tackles per game. In fact, Koster's 104 solo tackles were more than only six players in the RMAC in TOTAL tackles.
For his career in three seasons and 31 games with the Cowboys, Koster finished with 338 total tackles (172 solo and 166 assisted tackles, 10.9 tackles per game) with 10 sacks, 39.5 tackles for loss, three interception returns for 51 yards and a touchdown, 12 pass breakups, nine QB hurries, five forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries (including a touchdown return in his final game of his collegiate career).
Career awards for Koster include being named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic First Team in both 2012 (outside linebacker) and 2014 (inside linebacker). This season, he was a Second Team All-America Linebacker by Daktronics, an Honorable Mention D2football.com All-American and a finalist for the Cliff Harris Award (given to the best non-Division I defensive player in the country).
"Jared is on pace to graduate and would have been walking across the stage this weekend, but he had something come up in regards to Tampa Bay. He will report to the rookie camp, and we could not be more excited for him," Pavlic explained.
For Slavin in 2014, he earned First Team All-American honors from Daktronics while being named Second Team All-American by D2Football.com. The RMAC named him the Conference Offensive Player of the Year after ending the season with 119 receptions for 1,418 yards (second in NCAA Division II) and 17 touchdowns. His 128.91 receptions yards per game was second in the nation while his 10.8 catches per game led NCAA Division II. He finished the season with five games with 100+ reception yards and was just a yard short in two other games.
In the middle of the 2014 campaign, Slavin tallied six-straight games of double-digit receptions and had four-straight games with triple digit receiving yards. Against rival Western New Mexico, he caught 17 passes for 425 yards and a season-best four scores. Against nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines, Slavin caught 14 passes for 278 yards and two scores.
"The scouts for the Rams have been on Tyler from the word go," Pavlic said. "We could not be more excited for him as he continues his career on the gridiron. He went home to train every day, but he has been taking online classes and is on pace to graduate in the fall of 2015.
Pavlic added: "I also understand
Patrick Carney is continuing his punting career and there are 3-or-4 teams interested in him. After the rookie camps are over, he may get a call from a few NFL teams. We look forward to what lies in the future for these three young men as they go on to the next chapter in their lives. Not only were they excellent football players, but they are great students and outstanding citizens as well. We wish them nothing but the best."
