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Detroit Lions sign punter Jack Fox to futures contract

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Following the end of the regular season, former Rice football punter Jack Fox has signed a futures contract with the NFL’s Detroit Lions

Former Rice football punter Jack Fox has been swept up into the churn of NFL life. After going undrafted, Fox signed a free agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs and was cut prior to the regular season. He was on and off the Chiefs’ practice squad during the season, eventually being signed to the practice squad by the Detroit Lions.

It looks like Fox will be in Detroit for at least a little while longer. At the end of the regular season, Fox agreed to a futures contract with the Lions.

What is a futures contract?

NFL teams don’t practice between the end of the season and training camp, thus eliminating the need for practice squad players. Even though they weren’t on the official roster, teams still want to make sure they can keep many of those players in the fold for the upcoming season when the rosters expand from 55 players to 90. And thus futures contracts were born.

Essentially a futures contract is a low-cost commitment between the player and the team to keep a player from signing elsewhere during the offseason. Futures contracts take effect at the start of the new league year (Mar. 18, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. ET).

What’s next for Fox?

It’s unlikely Detroit would have brought Fox in if they didn’t intend to give him a shot to compete for a spot on the active roster next season. The Lions’ current punter Sam Martin is eligible for free agency, leaving a potential opening at the position. Detroit also signed free agent Matt Wile who appeared briefly for the Falcons this season and was the full-time punter for the Vikings in 2018, averaging 45.2 yards per punt.

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Rice Football 2020: Owls in the NFL Wildcard Round Update

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Four Rice football alums are moving on in the NFL Playoffs. Here’s a rundown of all the NFL Owls still in the Super Bowl hunt after the Wildcard Round.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Wildcard Round Results

OT | Texans 22 (Gaines) – Bills 19
Titans 20 – Patriots 13
Vikings 26 (Sendejo) – Saints 20
Seahawks 17 (Ellerbee, Willson) – Eagles 9

Owls out of the playoffs

Broncos – Anderson, Callahan
Cowboys – Covington
Steelers – Boswell, McDonald

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Vikings

Sendejo played a role in limiting Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, holding them below 21 points for the first time since Week 10. The stout performance was enough to upset New Orleans at home. He had three tackles and a pass defended, marking the third time since joining the Vikings he’s registered multiple tackles.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. He did not appear in any games with the Seahawks this year and won’t be on the field for Seattle’s playoff run.

Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks

Willson was active against the Eagles but did not catch a pass. His experience as a blocker continues to be his ticket onto the field. The Seahawks heavily targeted their wide receivers on Sunday with Jacob Hollister registering the only two catches from the tight end position.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines was placed on injured reserve following an ankle injury suffered during the Texans’ Week 8 game against the Colts. He won’t be available for Houston’s playoff run.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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Top 10 moments from Rice Athletics in 2019

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2019 was an incredible year for Rice Athletics. It’s hard to boil down the success into a single list, but here are some of the most impactful moments of the year.

10. Baseball run-rules TCU at Shriner’s College Classic

Baseball’s first season under Matt Bragga was filled with ups and downs. The absolute shellacking the Owls’ laid on TCU at Minute Maid Park stands out as a high point. A perennial Omaha-bound squad, TCU looked stunned when the Rice exploded for nine runs in the final two innings. Cade Edwards blasted a dagger into the Crawford Boxes, ending the game in seven innings.

9. Football signs 17 in early signing period

The Owls haven’t had a top-five class in Conference USA since 2013, but are well on their way with the first installments of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class. Rice entered the early signing period in the top four classes in the conference and has a few more weeks to add to the total. Dynamic athletes like Sean Fresch, Andrew Mason, Plae Wyatt and Mike Leone are going to help raise the floor, and the ceiling, for this program.

8.  Soccer goes 6-3-1 in C-USA play

The first year under a new head coach is filled with uncertainty, but Rice soccer and Brian Lee had a tremendous 2019 season. Rice won 10 games for the fifth time in six years and lost just one conference game, a feat the program achieved only one other time this decade.

7. Blaze Alldredge named first-team All-Conference USA

From junior college to the top of Conference USA, Blaze Alldredge’s story is incredible. He was the leader of a Rice defense that went from one of the conference’s worst to one of its’ best and is expected to return Alldredge and the majority of its key contributors in 2020. Neither Alldredge or this defense will fly under the radar next year.

6. Anthony Rendon wins World Series

In a moment bittersweet for native Houstonians, former Rice baseball great Anthony Rendon won the World Series in his hometown. The Washington Nationals’ third baseman had eight hits in the series, including a pair of game-changing home runs. He celebrated by signing a 7-year, $245 million contract with the Los Angels Angels during the offseason.

5. Women’s basketball makes NCAA Tournament

Rice Women’s basketball looked every bit the part in their first NCAA Tournament appearance of the decade. The Owls pushed Marquette to the wire, faltering late. The duo of Erica Ogwumike and Nancy Mulkey gave opponents nightmares and both are back for another shot in 2020.

4. Volleyball upsets No. 3 Texas

Rice volleyball delivered their biggest win in program history in front of a record crowd at Tudor Fieldhouse. It took five all five sets, but the home team delivered an upset for the ages, downing then-No. 3 Texas before celebrations broke out all over the arena. It’s hard to find an individual win more impressive than this one across all of Rice Athletics in 2019.

3. Women’s Basketball and Volleyball ranked for the first time ever

The upswing in Rice Athletics could be encapsulated in the first-time rankings of the women’s basketball and volleyball programs. Both teams had stellar seasons that warranted national attention. Not only did they both receive those honors, but they changed the perception of Rice on the national stage. Rice is no longer just any other school, it’s an elite institution with high-caliber athletes that can win big.

2. Football closes with three straight wins

There were rumblings of improvement, but an 0-9 start had Rice football in a tough spot. They knew they needed to start winning — and they’d come close several times — but getting over the hump proved to be a tougher task than expected. Once Rice got the taste of victory, they didn’t look back. The football team closed the year with three straight wins, the first time Rice has ended the year that well since 2013 when they won the conference title.

1. Women’s Basketball goes undefeated C-USA

No matter the sport or the conference, going undefeated is really hard to do. Rice women’s basketball did just that, blowing out the majority of their conference opponents in dazzling fashion on their way to a conference championship. Including the conference tournament, the Owls went a perfect 19-0 against Conference opponents.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments did you enjoy the most? Which events should be added to the list?

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Rice Football 2019: Owls in the NFL Week 17 Update

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A few Rice football alums are playoff bound in Seattle, Minnesota and Houston. Final regular season stats and a roundup of the NFL Owls in Week 17.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Week 17 results

Broncos 16 (Anderson, Callahan) – Raiders 15 
Cowboys 47 (Covington) – Redskins 16
49ers 26 – Seahawks 21 (Ellerbee, Willson)
Ravens 28 – Steelers 10 (Boswell, McDonald)
Titans 35 – Texans 14 (Gaines)
Chicago 21 – Vikings 19 (Sendejo)

Calvin Anderson, OT, Broncos

Anderson did not appear in a game for the Broncos this season despite being signed midway through the season. He was inactive in every game following his arrival to Denver, including their Week 17 win over the Raiders.

Bryce Callahan, CB, Broncos

Callahan was placed on injured reserve earlier this season, never playing for the Broncos in 2019. Like Anderson, he did not make any appearances for Denver this season.

Christian Covington, DE, Cowboys

Covington tallied four tackles in the Cowboys dominant win over the Redskins in their final game of the 2019 season. The win wasn’t enough, though, as the Eagles clinched the final playoff berth in the NFC with a win over the Redskins, knocking the Cowboys out of the playoffs. Covington ends the year with a career-best 28 tackles with one sack and one pass break up.

Andrew Sendejo, Saf, Vikings

Sendejo was fourth on the team in tackles, finishing with seven in Sunday’s narrow loss to the Bears. Spanning two teams and 15 games, Sendejo tallied 44 tackles, three interceptions and four pass break ups during the regular season. The Vikings will travel to the Saints in the first round of the playoffs next weekend.

Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB, Seahawks

Ellerbee was placed injured reserve prior to the start of the season. He did not appear in any games with the Seahawks this year.

Luke Willson, TE, Seahawks

Willson was inactive for the Seahawks’ final regular season game, a heartbreaking loss to the 49ers that came down to a fourth-down stop at the goal line. Willson played eight games this season. He caught eight passes for 79 yards with a long of 17 yards.

The loss secures Seattle as the No. 5 seed in the NFC. They’ll travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in the first round of the playoffs next weekend.

Chris Boswell, K, Steelers

Boswell saw limited action on Sunday, making one extra point and one 26-yard field goal in the Steelers’ loss to the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens. Boswell made 29 of 31 field goal attempts this season and was perfect on 28 extra point tries. The Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs with the loss, but the Titans’ win over the Texans in Week 17 would have kept them out regardless of the result of their game.

Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers

The Steelers couldn’t get much going on offense on Sunday. Quarterback Duck Hodges completed nine passes, two to McDonald, who had 19 receiving yards, second-most on the team. McDonald ends the year with 38 receptions for 273 yards and three touchdowns.

Phillip Gaines, CB, Texans

Gaines was placed on injured reserve following an ankle injury suffered during the Texans’ Week 8 game against the Colts. Gaines ends the season with six games played and two starts. He had two pass breakups. The Texans host the Bills in the first round of the playoffs next week.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are others Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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Rice Football Recruiting: Owls add pair of wide receivers to 2020 class

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The 2020 Rice Football recruiting class added a pair of talented wide receivers, picking up commitments from Michael Haack and Casey Tawa.

Entering the final weeks of the current cycle, there was room for a few additional pass catchers in the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class. While some were still traveling to and from their holiday festivities, the Owls were making moves.

Andrew Mason was the only true wide receiver that signed in December, making that one of the positions the Owls were looking to deepen over the next several weeks. On Saturday Rice tripled their wide receiver depth with two new additions. Both players have the potential to be key contributors for Rice.

Michael Haack

Michael Haack came onto the radar earlier this summer after the Owls’ staff spotted him on the camp circuit. He followed that up with an impressive senior year, hauling in 14 touchdowns and shredding defense after defense. The El Paso native had a breakout senior season, finishing first-team all-district and was his all-star game MVP.

It’s worth noting Rice plucked Haack out of UTEP’s backyard. Rather than suiting up for a Conference USA opponent, he’ll don the blue and grey next season. That’s a win on top of a win for Rice.

Casey Tawa

Haack would have made for a nice Christmas present for this class on his own, but Rice doubled down on Saturday, adding out of state playmaker Casey Tawa. Tawa’s brother plays baseball at Stanford and the Oregon native has a tremendous interest in the Stanford-like dedication instilled by Mike Bloomgren and his coaching staff.

On the field, Tawa’s production speaks for itself. He led the state of Oregon with 18 touchdown receptions this season. His acceleration after the catch is superb.

 

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