By Robert S Weinroth
With the NFL Draft now a done deal, the results for alumni of the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl were quite impressive. Eleven of the players selected in this year’s NFL Draft appeared at Boca Raton’s biggest annual outdoor party with another 21 Bowl alumni signed undrafted free agent agreements, spread over all five years of the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.
The first to be selected was Northern Illinois offensive tackle Max Scharping. His 55th pick in this year’s draft made him the fourth-highest pick among all Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl past players.
The 2015 Temple University team has clinched the honor of having the most drafted Bowl players at 9 including Haason Reddick, picked in the first round as the 13th pick in 2017.
Thirteen players from the 2015 game have been drafted (9 from Temple and 4 from Western Kentucky).
The 2019 drafted players and undrafted free agent signees who participated in the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.are listed below by school:
Northern Illinois (2014)
- Albert Smalls, CB – Oakland Raiders (Undrafted Free Agent)
University of Toledo (2015)
- Diontae Johnson, WR – Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 3, Pick 66)
- Ka’Dar Hollman, DB – Green Bay Packers (Round 6, Pick 185)
- Cody Thompson, WR – Kansas City Chiefs (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Jon’vea Johnson, WR – Dallas Cowboys (Undrafted Free Agent)
Temple University (2015)
- Ryquell Armstead, RB – Jacksonville Jaguars (Round 5, Pick 140)
- Michael Dogbe, DE – Arizona Cardinal (Round 7, Pick 249)
University of Memphis (2016)
- Darrell Henderson, RB – Los Angeles Rams (Round 3, Pick 70)
- Tony Pollard, RB – Dallas Cowboys (Round 4, Pick 128)
- Curtis Akins, LB – Cincinnati Bengals (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Trevon Tate, OL – Oakland Raiders (Undrafted Free Agent)
Florida Atlantic University (2017)
- Devin Singletary, RB – Buffalo Bills (Round 3, Pick 74)
- Kerrith Whyte Jr., RB – Chicago Bears (Round 7, Pick 222)
- Azeez Al-Shaair, LB – San Francisco 49ers (Undrafted Free Agent)
University of Akron (2017)
- Ulyssees Gilbert, LB – Pittsburg Steelers (Round 6, Pick 207)
UAB (2018)
- Xavier Ubosi, WR – New England Patriots (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Jamell Garcia-Williams, OL – San Francisco 49ers (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Anthony Rush, DL – Philadelphia Eagles (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Tre’ Crawford, LB – Atlanta Falcons (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Andre Wilson, WR – Detroit Lions (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Broderick Thomas, S – Kansas City Chiefs (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Mar’Sean Diggs, S – Minnesota Vikings (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Rishard Cook, OL – Indianapolis Colts (Undrafted Free Agent)
- James Davis, OL – Los Angeles Rams (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Justice Powers, OL – Atlanta Falcons (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Logan Scott, TE – Atlanta Falcons (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Quindarius Thagard, DL – Buffalo Bills (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Stacy Keely, DL – Minnesota Vikings (Undrafted Free Agent)
Northern Illinois University (2018)
- Max Scharping, OT – Houston Texans (Round 2, Pick 55)
- Sutton Smith, LB – Pittsburg Steelers (Round 6, Pick 175)
- Josh Corcoran, DE – Los Angeles Chargers (Undrafted Free Agent)
- Jalen Embry, CB- Houston Texans (Undrafted Free Agent)
Boca Raton learned this week that after spending five years on the Tuesday evening before Christmas and being aired on ESPN, the 2019 edition of the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl will kick off at 3:30PM on Saturday, December 21, and will be moving over the ABC. The venue of the game is unchanged – FAU Stadium on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University. The broadcast will also be carried on ESPN Radio.
The previous games were played on the Tuesday evening immediately prior to Christmas. Instead, the 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl will be played in the Florida sunshine.
The selection of the participating teams for the 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl will be made from Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference and the American Athletic Conference. As in previous years, there will be abundant pregame activities throughout Palm Beach County including beach parties, pep rallies, a kickoff luncheon at the Palm Beach County Convention Center and abundant community outreach.
“We are excited to kick off the holiday tourism season in Palm Beach County with the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl at FAU, “said Verdenia Baker, Palm Beach County Administrator, noting to is our county’s opportunity to “showcase the Palm Beaches as the ‘Perfect Place’ to experience our lifestyle.”
There’s a lot of excitement as the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl continues to grow. Opportunities for community involvement are abundant and announcements will be made shortly on how residents can join the fun. Stay informed by checking into the Bowl website at CheribundiBocaRatonBowl.com or follow it on social media on Facebook (Facebook.com/BocaBowl), Twitter (@BocaBowl), and Instagram (@BocaBowl).
Mark your calendar to be at FAU Stadium for kickoff at 3:30PM on Saturday, December 21!