Local NFL Players: Players with Springfield Ties Report to Training Camp

Several players in the National Football League with ties to Springfield are looking to secure a spot on their organizations’ rosters once training camps begin.

A pair of other former high school players from Missouri State and Springfield appear set to apply for free agency after previous stints in the league.

Below are some local names to keep an eye on as you prepare for the season, as teams shuffle, sign and cut contracts in the coming days and weeks.

Eric Johnson, DT, Indianapolis Colts

Johnson is entering his third NFL season after six years at Missouri State. He was the driving force behind the 2021 defense that helped the Bears earn a shot at the Missouri Valley Conference and qualify for the playoffs.

Johnson was selected in the fifth round by Indianapolis and hopes to return to the Colts’ 53-man roster after logging 265 snaps last season on a defensive line that ranked 24th in the league in rush defense (123 yards per game).

Johnson, a native of Normal, Illinois, ranked fourth in the snap count for the Colts’ interior defensive line rotation in 2023 and, with offseason additions at the position, USA Today’s “Colts Wire” noted that “making the final roster could be an uphill battle for Johnson.”

He reportedly signed a four-year rookie contract worth $3,980,740 with the Colts in 2022, including a guaranteed signing bonus of $320,740.

The Colts host the Denver Broncos to open their pre-season on August 11.

Ty Scott, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Scott used his lone season in the United Football League to demonstrate his NFL appeal before being signed to Seattle’s 90-man roster this week.

Scott, who arrived in Seattle on Thursday, is coming off a remarkable spring season for the UFL’s DC Defenders, which included 418 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 25 receptions. On Friday, the former Missouri State Bear was one of 20 UFL products picked up for NFL training camps this month.

Scott, who played his first three collegiate seasons at Central Michigan before transferring to MSU, was a key part of then-head coach Bobby Perino’s Air Attack in 2021 and 2022. The two-time All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honoree hauled in 114 passes for 1,784 yards and 13 touchdowns during his time in Springfield.

This is Scott’s second NFL attempt. In May 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs signed the South Carolina native as an undrafted rookie free agent, but he was waived before the start of training camp.

The Seahawks open their exhibition game on August 10 in Los Angeles against the Chargers.

Travis Vokolek, TE, Arizona Cardinals

The former Kickapoo High and University of Nebraska tight end went undrafted as a rookie in 2023 and worked his way up to the league on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad before being picked up by the Arizona Cardinals, where he played in two late-season games.

On a Cardinals roster that features four tight ends, Vokolek is widely considered a “bubble player” in the effort to make the 53-man cut. He reportedly signed a two-year, $1,665,000 contract last season.

At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, Vokolek, the son of former Missouri State assistant football coach DJ Vokolek, was used by the Cardinals in 40 snaps in 2023, primarily as a blocking assignment.

Vokolek’s collegiate totals include 57 receptions for 656 yards and four touchdowns

The Cardinals begin their preseason games on August 10 when they host the New Orleans Saints. Vokolek turned heads in his rookie preseason for the Baltimore Ravens by hauling in two touchdown passes against Washington.

Terique Owens, WR, SF 49ers

The son of NFL Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens reported to training camp in May after signing an undrafted rookie free-agent contract.

Terique Owens played his senior year at Missouri State last fall and caught 28 times for 528 yards and four touchdowns. He ranked 12th in the NCAA Division I FCS and second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in yards per reception (18.86).

The 49ers have one of the best receiver groups in the NFL, including two players who were drafted earlier this year, so it appears Owens will have a tough time making the team.

San Francisco begins pre-season play on August 10 with an away game against the Tennessee Titans.

Currently not on NFL rosters

Former Logan-Rogersville and Missouri State linebacker Dylan Cole is a free agent after his one-year deal with the Chicago Bears, where he played in 16 games on special teams in 2023, expired earlier this year. Cole, 30, has played seven NFL seasons with the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and Bears, totaling 151 tackles, nine passes defensed, two sacks, two interceptions and a touchdown.

After signing with four NFL teams in the previous three seasons, mostly in training camp or practice squad form, Willard High Class of 2015 graduated Forest Merrill is not on the roster this summer. The 330-pound defensive tackle, who earned All-Sun Belt honors while at Arkansas State, was released by the Denver Broncos on Aug. 16, 2023. He played in four games for the Chargers in 2022, totaling two tackles.

Nixa graduate and four-time All-Big 12 tight end Chase All is also a free agent. After shining at Iowa State, Allen signed an undrafted rookie free-agent contract with the Bears in 2022 before being cut in August 2023.

Ryan Collingwood

Sports reporter

Ryan Collingwood covers college and high school sports in the Springfield metro area for the Daily Citizen. Have a story idea or complaint? Email [email protected], call 417-837-3660 or follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood. More from Ryan Collingwood