Marshall men in the NFL

HUNTINGTON -- There are unquestioned stars and role players, specialists and practice squad members looking to find a niche.

Together they represent Marshall University's football fraternity playing in the National Football League. Ten former Thundering Herd standouts are preparing for NFL training camps, continuing Marshall's pro football presence.

Five were roster members of February's Super Bowl XLII clash between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. Tailback Ahmad Bradshaw earned a Super Bowl championship ring as a Giants rookie, helping knock off wide receiver Randy Moss and punter Chris Hanson (wideout Troy Brown and tight end Jason Rader were placed on the Pats' inactive list).

Marshall's collection of NFL players has completed mini-camps and Offseason Training Activities and now are enjoying a bit of down time prior to training camp. It's an intriguing list that likely will add and subtract names between early July and season's start.

Following are capsule looks at Marshall's current NFL roster.

• Randy Moss, WR, New England Patriots: Arguably the league's most dynamic offensive threat, Moss dismissed two down seasons in Oakland with 23 touchdowns in 2007, a single-season NFL record. Overall, Marshall's first Heisman Trophy finalist hauled in 98 passes for 1,493 yards, leading New England to an unprecedented 16-0 regular season finish.

Moss' career statistics rank among the all-time greats. The six-time Pro Bowl selection has caught 774 passes for 12,193 yards and 124 touchdowns.

• Chad Pennington, QB, New York Jets: Marshall's second Heisman finalist is playing out a familiar offseason theme -- proving he's the rightful starter. In 2007, one year after earning Comeback Player of the Year honors, Pennington shared time behind center with Kellen Clemens.

Pennington appears healthy for '08, a telling sign for the Jets, among the league's most active organizations during free agency. He led the Jets to the playoffs in each of the three seasons (2002, '04, '06) that he started at least 12 games. Overall, Pennington has passed for 13,738 yards and 82 touchdowns against 55 interceptions and owns the Jets' franchise record with an 88.9 passer rating. He's also the NFL's all-time most accurate passer (with at least 1,500 attempts) at 65.6 percent.

• John Wade, C, Oakland Raiders: Entering his 11th NFL season, Wade signed with the Raiders from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Wade was chosen in the fifth round of the 1998 NFL Draft by Jacksonville and spent five seasons in Tampa Bay. The athletic center has started 106 of 126 career games.

• Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, New York Giants: Bradshaw graduated from questionable special teams player to impact tailback late in the season. His breakaway touchdown sparked a key late-season victory over Buffalo, and he again was trusted with meaningful handoffs throughout the Giants' Super Bowl run.

The change-of-pace back averaged 8.3 yards a carry, more than validating his seventh-round draft pick status.

• Chris Massey, LS, St. Louis Rams: Fans perhaps haven't heard much from Massey, and that's probably a good thing. Massey has assumed the torch of NFL's most dependable long-snapper from fellow Herd standout Mike Bartrum.

Selected in the 2002 draft's seventh round by the Rams, Massey enjoyed a run of 528 consecutive clean snaps during a five-season span.

• Chris Crocker, S, Miami Dolphins: Crocker wasn't an NFL given entering the 2003 draft, but the physical defensive back quickly learned he belonged.

"I can play in this league," Crocker said with a knowing smile following his first mini-camp with the Cleveland Browns.

Five years later, Crocker's career has proven out his early confidence. He started 14 games at free safety last season with the Atlanta Falcons, totaling 63 tackles and three sacks. Crocker signed with Miami as a free agent in March.

• Jason Rader, TE, Atlanta Falcons: Rader originally signed with Atlanta as a 2004 free agent, but career highlights were earned with the Miami Dolphins. Each of his five regular season games, including his lone start, came in a Dolphins uniform.

Rader spent much of last season on New England's practice squad. He signed with Atlanta as a free agent and could compete for playing time.

• Chris Hanson, P, New England Patriots: With Moss and quarterback Tom Brady leading a record-setting offense, Hanson primarily watched from the sideline in 2007. Still, he averaged 41.4 yards a punt, placing 13 of 44 punts inside the 20-yard line with a long of 64 yards.

Hanson maintains the rare combination of leg strength and accuracy entering his 10th NFL season. He was named to the 2002 Pro Bowl.

• Derek Devine, QB, Washington Redskins: Despite just a handful of NCAA Division I-A snaps with the Herd, both Seattle and Washington have signed Devine to NFL contracts.

He was released by Seattle prior to last season's start and signed with Washington in May.

• Josh Davis, WR, Carolina Panthers: Davis helped lead the Hamburg Sea Devils to the 2007 World Bowl XV title, but his NFL season abruptly ended following an appendectomy.

Davis, the Thundering Herd's all-time receptions leader, also has played for Miami, New Orleans and Minnesota.

• The wait-and-see list: Then there is a collection of former Marshall players whose NFL careers are uncertain.

Huntington resident Troy Brown, New England's all-time receptions and punt leader, heads the list. The team leader has continued his one-season-at-a-time approach this year, entering July as a free agent.

Just as hard to read is the future career of Byron Leftwich. Five years after being selected by Jacksonville with the draft's No. 7 overall pick, Leftwich, once regarded as a franchise quarterback, is without a team entering training camp.

Bernard Morris hoped to join Pennington, Leftwich and Devine as NFL quarterbacks, but his phone has been silent this summer. After competing in pair of college all-star games and the NFL Combine, Morris was considered a mid- to late-round draft prospect. His name wasn't called during draft weekend, however, and the 3,000-yard passer from 2007 hasn't received a free agent offer.

Offensive lineman Doug Legursky was signed to a free agent contract by the Pittsburgh Steelers following this year's draft, but the four-year Marshall starter was released last weekend.