DuvALUMNI UFA's

Many of today's NFL stars started their careers as undrafted free agents. That must be encouraging to know for a few DuvALUMNI who were not drafted but signed with teams as UFAs. Here is the latest list of signings.

QB Ryan Aplin (Fleming Island / Arkansas St) - Cleveland Browns

RB Montel Harris (Trinity / BC - Temple) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

CB Jose Cheeseborough (Lee / FIU) - Baltimore Ravens

Aplin starred at Arkansas State putting up great numbers as a senior. Harris set records at Boston College, later transferring to Temple. After a year at Edward Waters College,  Cheeseborough walked on to the FIU team and hopes to walk on to a roster spot for the Ravens. Congrats and best wishes for all of the DuvALUMNI - drafted and undrafted - chasing the NFL dream!

DuvALUMNI drafted on days two and three

They had to wait until the second and third day of the 2013 NFL draft but five area players were officially invited to join NFL clubs for camp. Brunswick High School graduate Darius Slay (pictured) was taken by the Detroit Lions number 36 overall. Slay finished at Mississippi State after playing junior college ball out of high school. St. Augustine High's kicker Caleb Sturgis(Florida) gets to stay in his home state, taken by the Dolphins in the fifth round. The seventh round saw three area players taken: Camden County's Ryan Seymour  (Vandy)was picked by the Seattle Seahawks; running back Jawan Jamison (Bolles/Rutgers) was selected by Washington and USF linebacker and Terry Parker grad Sam Barrington went to Green Bay.

Minor Leagues 2013

Many Duvalumni are moving their way up through the minor leagues. Some are playing in the rookie league and in independent leagues that both start later in the year. We will have those players once they are assigned to their squads and their season starts. For now, AAA, AA, A+ ball players. As always, holler if I've missed someone.

Corey Wimberly –(Ribault) AA Pensacola (CIN)  OF

Mycal Jones - (Wolfson) AA Mississippi (ATL) OF

Kyle Parker (Bartram Trail) AA Tulsa (Colo) OF

Ben Gamel (Kenny) A+ Tampa (NYY)  OF

Ronald Melendez (ACD) A Lansing (TOR) OF

Javier Baez (ACD) A Daytona (Cubs) SS

Patrick Leonard (Creekside) A Bowling Green (Tampa Bay) IF/DH

Austin Maddox (Eagles View ) A Greenville (Boston) P

Hayden Hurst (Bolles) Rookie Gulf Coast League (PITT) P

Hunter Scantling (Episcopal) A- Connecticut (DET) P

Avery Romero (Menendez) A short season - Batavia (MIA) 3B

Jonathan Murphy(Providence) A - Cedar Rapids (MINN)  OF

Major League Baseball Duvalumni

Chipper has retired but many Duvalumni are gracing Major League Baseball rosters:

Jonathan Papelbon - 2013 marks the ninth MLB season for the Bishop Kenny grad, his second with the Phillies after 7 seasons with the Red Sox, still one of the preeminent closers in the game.

Brett Myers - the current senior member of the MLB Duvalumni, Myers (Englewood)
 is in his 12th season and his first with the Cleveland Indians. After spending 2012 coming out of the bullpen for Houston and the White Sox, Myers begins the year in the Indians starting rotation.

Howie Kendrick: Kendrick (West Nassau High) begins his eighth season after an All-Star season in 2012 as the Angels second baseman.

Jake Dunning: Dunning (Clay High) has appeared in a couple of games so far his rookie season for the San Francisco Giants.

Darren O'Day: O'Day (Bishop Kenny) begins his second season as the Orioles set-up man, his sixth in the major leagues.

Billy Butler The Wolfson graduate is the star of the Kansas City Royals, entering his seventh season.

Daniel Murphy: Murphy (Englewood) begins his fifth season with the Mets, playing second base.

Michael Kirkman: The Lake City Columbia High grad has spent portions of the past three seasons in the big leagues. He starts the 2013 season on the Rangers roster, coming out of the bullpen.

Adam Wainwright: Wainwright (Brunswick) bounced back in 2012 after missing 2011 with injury. In 29 innings so far this year, he has yet to issue a walk.

Mat Gamel: Sadly, another injury -- this time a torn ACL -- that will keep Gamel (Bishop Kenny) out for the entire 2013 season.

Louis Nix...ball carrier?

Notre Dame's Louis Nix (Raines) was in the offensive backfield often last year; uh, the opponent'soffensive backfield. But now it seems Notre Dame is trying him in theirs.http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/notre-dame-350-pound-dl-louis-nix-iii-161831206--ncaaf.html