IU players try to make NFL cuts

Just because Aaron Halterman, Chris Jahnke, and Herana-Daze Jones didn't hear their names called during the NFL Draft doesn't mean their dreams of playing in the NFL died that day.\nFormer IU football players Halterman, Jahnke and Jones all signed free agent contracts with NFL teams immediately following the draft. Halterman signed with the Houston Texans, Jahnke with the Minnesota Vikings and Jones with the Cincinnati Bengals. \nWhile Jones, who played strong safety during his time at IU, expected to be drafted in the later rounds, he wasn't surprised that the Bengals offered him a contract after they didn't select him.\n"The Bengals called me and told me that they might draft me late, but if they didn't, they would give me a contract," Jones said. "I wasn't too worried about being drafted because of that."\nThe Bengals were one of eight teams to offer Jones a contract after the draft, a diversity of options for which he was thankful to have.\n"The best possible situation for me was in Cincinnati because they showed a lot of interest in me from the beginning, and I like the safety situation there too," Jones added.\nHalterman and Jahnke on the other hand were offered contracts by only one team — the team that eventually signed them.\nHalterman, a tight end while at IU, said he wasn't really expecting to be drafted, and he didn't know what to expect afterwards as well.\n"I really didn't know what was going to happen, but my agent said that if it was going to happen, it would happen right after the draft," the Greenwood, Ind. native said. \nSure enough, Halterman received a call from the Texans immediately after the Draft, and eventually signed a contract with the team. \nJahnke experienced a similar situation with the Vikings, who contacted the 6-feet-5-inch, 310-pound offensive lineman within a few hours following the Draft. \nHalterman, Jahnke, and Jones are currently in training camp with their respective teams, something that all three said was proceeding well. \n"Camp is going great right now," Jones said. "I've had a couple of interceptions with the third team, and I'm working with the second team on special teams."\nHalterman, who is also working with the third team, expressed similar sentiments about the Texans' camp.\n"We're putting in good work here and hopefully it will show this season," Halterman said.\nHowever, just because Halterman, Jahnke, and Jones have signed with NFL teams and are in camp doesn't mean that they have a guaranteed spot on the roster come week one. \nThe precarious situation of all undrafted free agents was perhaps summarized best by Jahnke when assessing his chances of making the Viking squad.\n"I'd like to think I do," Jahnke said. "But it's not up to me to make that decision in the end." \nWhile there is some anxiety felt about making the final roster, all three players said that the NFL lifestyle is unfolding as they anticipated. \n"It's a lot like I expected; it's a bunch of hard work and guys fighting for positions on the team," Jahnke remarked. \nJones also expressed a sense of satisfaction and anticipation with the impending realization of his NFL dreams.\n"It's everything I expected," the Louisville native said. "It's working out great and I'm in a pretty good situation here in Cincinnati, I just need to keep playing."\nThe first cut date for NFL rosters is Aug. 30, when teams trim their rosters to 65 players. The final cut date is Sept. 3, which will establish final rosters for the first week of the season.\nLast year, 39 undrafted free agents were on opening week rosters, while all in all, 23.2 percent of players on NFL rosters went undrafted as rookies. \nCurrent NFL stars such as Kurt Warner, Priest Holmes, Rod Smith, and Adam Vinatieri were all once undrafted free agents who were able to overcome the odds and become NFL success stories. Halterman, Jahnke, and Jones are hoping to follow in their footsteps, and land themselves on a NFL roster for week one.