Tigers In Professional Football
That legacy has been enhanced over the last decade. Most recently, Princeton was represented at the highest level by Jesper Horsted and Stephen Carlson, both of whom caught their first NFL touchdowns during the 2019 season. John Lovett, their classmate, earned a Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 2012, Mike Catapano was drafted with the first pick in the seventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Catapano was coming off a season when he became Princeton's seventh player to win the Bushnell Cup; he was the Ivy League's second Defensive Player of the Year. Catapano played with the New York Jets during the 2016 season.
One year after Catapano was selected, Caraun Reid (temporarily) became Princeton's highest draft pick of the modern draft era (since 1970) when he was picked in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions. Reid scored a touchdown during his 2015 season on Monday Night Football. He later moved to San Diego, where he scored yet another touchdown for the Chargers, and he will enter the 2018 season as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Reid's distinction as the highest pick of the modern era lasted all of two seasons. Seth DeValve was chosen in the fourth round of the 2016 draft (Pick #138) by the Cleveland Browns after turning several heads at his impressive Pro Day. Those impressions proved to be well-founded; he caught 10 passes for Cleveland during his rookie season, including two for touchdowns. While Reid's first score came on Monday Night Football, DeValve's came during Thursday Night Football.
Chad Kanoff, the 2017 Bushnell Cup winner as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, signed a contract with the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason.
Garrett, the 1988 Ivy League Player of the Year while a quarterback at Princeton, was a long-time member of the Dallas Cowboys, where he earned two Super Bowl rings. He also earned NFL Player of the Week honors after a Thanksgiving 1994 game in which he directed the Cowboys to a comeback win over Green Bay. He saw considerable action his last two years in Dallas when Hall of Fame starter Troy Aikman was hurt, and he signed a free agent contract with the Giants prior to the 2000 season, when he returned to the Super Bowl with his new team. Garrett was the head coach of the Dallas was named the 2016 NFL Head Coach of the Year after leading the Cowboys on a dramatic turnaround season.
Princeton head coach Bob Surace certainly knows what it takes to play at the professional level. Prior to his tenure at Princeton, he spent eight seasons as an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bengals; seven of those seasons were with former NFL Coach of the Year Marvin Lewis. Surace, who played with the Garrett brothers and was part of the 1989 Ivy League championship team, helped Cincinnati to a pair of playoff appearances and the 2009 AFC North title.
Kevin Davidson, Princeton's 2019 starting quarterback, signed as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland shortly after the 2020 draft. Following the 2021 NFL Draft, Jeremiah Tyler (New York Jets), Delan Stallworth (Philadelphia Eagles) and Samuel Wright II (Seattle Seahawks) were invited to Rookie Minicamps.
Andrei Iosivas was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals while Henry Byrd and Matthew Jester signed contracts with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams. Uche Ndukwe was invited to rookie minicamp by the Minnesota Vikings.
Princeton alumni of the mid-1890s had a hand in the first professional game played in Latrobe, Pa., in 1895. Since then, more than 35 Tiger players have seen action in or been drafted by the professional ranks (see list below).
PRINCETON IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
Carl Barisich ’73
Bob Beattie ’25
Hank Bjorklund ’72
Ben Brielmaier ’06
Stephen Carlson ’19
Michael Carr ’95
Mike Catapano '13
Karl Chandler ’74
Cris Crissy ’81
Kevin Davidson ’20
Jon Dekker ’06
Seth DeValve '16
Brad Dinsmore ’25
Ted Drews ’25
Eric Drieband ’86
Keith Elias ’94
Pat Flaherty ’23
Jason Garrett ’89
John Garrett ’88
Judd Garrett ’90
Charlie Gogolak ’66
Bob Hews ’70
Bob Holly ’82
Jesper Horsted '19
Albert “Red” Howard ’25
Cosmo Iacavazzi ’65
Chad Kanoff '17
Zak Keasey ’05
John Lovett ’19
Stas´ Maliszewski ’66
Keith Mauney ’70
Tim McCann ’69
Jay McCareins ’06
Frank McPhee ’53
Dennis Norman ’01
Chip Nuzzo ’87
Chisom Opara ‘03
Frank Perantoni ’46
Bob Perina ’43
John Raveche ’01
Caraun Reid '13
Justin Stull ’06
Jeff Terrell ’07
Ross Tucker ’01
Bill Winters ’76
PRINCETON FOOTBALL HISTORY IN THE NFL DRAFT
| Name | Year | Round | Pick | Team |
| Seth DeValve | 2016 | 4 | 138 | Cleveland Browns |
| Caraun Reid | 2014 | 5 | 158 | Detroit Lions |
| Andrei Iosivas | 2023 | 6 | 206 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Mike Catapano | 2013 | 7 | 207 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Dennis Norman | 2001 | 7 | 222 | Seattle Seahawks |
| Judd Garrett | 1990 | 12 | 327 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Jon Schultheis | 1983 | 7 | 182 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Bob Holly | 1982 | 11 | 291 | Washington Redskins |
| Cris Crissy | 1981 | 12 | 323 | New England Patriots |
| Carl Barisich | 1973 | 11 | 281 | Cleveland Browns |
| Hank Bjorklund | 1972 | 12 | 299 | New York Jets |
| Bob Hews | 1970 | 6 | 156 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Keith Mauney | 1970 | 15 | 376 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Charlie Gogolak | 1966 | 1 | 6 | Washington Redskins |
| Cosmo Iacovazzi | 1965 | 20 | 275 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Frank McPhee | 1953 | 13 | 147 | Chicago Cardinals |