Five Rebels sign with NFL teams

Posted on Apr 29 2013 - 8:42am by Ole Miss Sports Information

Five Ole Miss Rebels signed free-agent deals with NFL teams on Saturday, following the 2013 NFL Draft.

Uriah Grant signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, A.J. Hawkins with the Kansas City Chiefs and Gilbert Pena with the Green Bay Packers. Gerald Rivers, who last played for the Rebels in 2011, signed with the St. Louis Rams.

And one of the feel-good stories of the free-agent signings is SEC basketball champion Murphy Holloway being picked up by the Baltimore Ravens as a tight end.

This group continues a rich tradition of Rebels in the NFL, which includes 279 all-time draft picks and 19 first-round selections. A total of 24 former players were on NFL rosters during the 2012 season, including two Pro Bowlers (Patrick Willis, Eli Manning), a world champion (Michael Oher) and 12 full-time starters.