With the first round of NFL preseason player cuts complete, two out of four Penn alumni remain on their respective rosters.
But for 2003 graduate Rob Milanese -- Penn's all-time leader in receiving yards -- and 2004 graduate Duvol Thompson, their dreams of an NFL career will have to wait at least one more year.
After signing a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers this summer, Milanese posted reasonably good numbers in preseason games.
In the Chargers' 19-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on August 26, Milanese led all San Diego receivers with four catches.
He also had a catch for four yards against the Rams on August 21.
Before signing with San Diego, Milanese played one season in the Arena Football League for the Philadelphia Soul. While there, he notched 13 receptions for 265 yards and five touchdowns.
Milanese's best single-game performance last season came in Week Three against the Nashville Kats, when he pulled down three catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
Upon hearing that his former Quakers teammate was released, Ben Noll -- a second-year offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys -- sympathized with his old friend.
"That's too bad," Noll said. "He was playing really well over there."
Thompson was competing for a roster spot with the St. Louis Rams before being released on August 29.
The All-Ivy cornerback was signed as an undrafted free agent on April 25, and he was listed as a left cornerback on the Rams Web site.
While Noll's roster spot may not be guaranteed until Sept. 4, when the final preseason cuts are made, it seems that he has a strong chance of being on the Cowboys roster this season.
On July 25, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Noll was competing for the starting job at offensive right tackle. Noll started Dallas' last preseason game against the Houston Texans.
But Noll remains cautious, realizing that nothing is certain at this point in his young career.
"All of us are very busy and unsure," he said. "I'm just pleased that the Cowboys have given me this opportunity, and I hope that I can take advantage of it."
Noll started and played in one game last season.
In contrast to young up-and-comers such as Milanese and Noll, Penn alumnus Jim Finn is entering his sixth season in the NFL.
He played for the Indianapolis Colts from 2000-2002 before joining the New York Giants in 2003. He recently signed a five-year contract to stay with the Giants, spurning offers from Houston, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 74 career games, Finn has 39 receptions for 271 yards and one touchdown. His blocking helped enable Giants running back Tiki Barber to amass a team-record 1,518 running yards last season.
Indeed, Finn's achievements are a testament to the successful transition that Ivy League football players often make to the NFL.
For example, after playing in Penn assistant coach Andy Coen's "complicated offensive scheme" for four years, Noll found the transition to the more complex NFL offenses to be rather easy.
"At Penn, we were constantly checking out the defensive plays and evaluating the safeties," he said. "It really complements the NFL game, and I was well-prepared as a result."
The Cowboys finish their preseason schedule tonight against Jacksonville.
If Noll makes the roster, he will be reunited with Finn as the Cowboys play the Giants at Texas Stadium on October 16 and at Giants Stadium on Dec. 4.
The only Ivy Leaguer taken in the draft, former Harvard and now Rams quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, has survived the first round of cuts.
In the first three preseason games, Fitzpatrick was 5-for-10 for 129 yards and one touchdown -- which went for 78 yards -- and no interceptions.
Another former Quakers player, offensive lineman Jeff Hatch, started training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but was released before the preseason began.
Hatch played four games in 2003 for the Giants before being released.
