Three SMU football players will have the chance to play in the NFL. Two seniors from last year’s team have signed with teams as undrafted free agents, and another earned a mini-camp invitation.
Cornerback Horace Richardson signed with the Minnesota Vikings and offensive lineman Chauncey Briggs signed with the Oakland Raiders while Safety Darrion Millines earned a mini-camp tryout with the San Francisco 49ers.
Congratulations to former #PonyUpTempo DB Darrion Millines for earning a mini-camp tryout with the @49ers! #SMU2NFL🐴⬆️🏈 pic.twitter.com/vwY6uFX535
— SMU Football (@SMUFB) April 30, 2017
Congratulations to former #PonyUpTempo OL Chauncey Briggs for signing with the @Raiders! #SMU2NFL🐴⬆️🏈 pic.twitter.com/GbDVCaVLWQ
— SMU Football (@SMUFB) April 30, 2017
Congratulations to former #PonyUpTempo CB @RichHomieHorace for signing with the @Vikings!#SMU2NFL🐴⬆️🏈 pic.twitter.com/TDcFBPGBjE
— SMU Football (@SMUFB) April 29, 2017
Richardson and Millines were first-team All-American Athletic Conference selections in 2016. Richardson led the AAC with six interceptions and was No. 3 in the conference with 14 passes defended. He started all 12 games in 2016 and made 25 starts over the course of his SMU career.
Millines finished No. 2 in the conference with five interceptions and No. 3 at SMU with 64 tackles. He made 34 starts in his final three seasons at SMU.
Briggs started 10 games at right tackle and one at left tackle in 2016. He made 33 starts in four years at three different positions along the offensive line.
No SMU player has been selected in the NFL draft since 2014. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton, considered SMU’s best NFL prospect, chose in January to return to school for the 2017 season. He is seen as a potential first-round draft pick in the 2018 draft.
A team’s rookie minicamp usually has 40 to 60 players, which includes draft picks, undrafted free agents and camp invitees. Mini-camp tryout players are not offered contracts until after the camp.
Not every player who tries out gets offered a contract. Millines will participate in the 49ers minicamp May 5-7.
Undrafted free agents sign three-year contracts immediately and are part of the 90-man offseason roster.
