When their respective teams cut veterans with as much experience and talent as Hugh Douglas and Peerless Price, 2005 Penn graduate Duvol Thompson should find no shame in not finding a place on the St. Louis Rams' 53-man roster.
The Rams released the former All-Ivy cornerback on Aug. 29. However, Thompson quickly found a role within the Rams organization when he was signed to the practice squad on Sunday.
Thompson was a cornerback and kick returner at Penn. He had 116 tackles and five interceptions during his career. Thompson was not picked in the NFL Draft but he signed with the Rams afterward as a rookie free agent.
His experience in St. Louis was going swimmingly until the first preseason game, a home game against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 12.
Thompson played all of the fourth quarter. On one particular play he had the responsibility of guarding Bears' wide receiver Mark Bradley. Thompson successfully broke up the pass. However, in the process he landed awkwardly in the end zone and broke his ring finger.
The cast was just removed Monday.
While many might be disappointed with this turn of events, Thompson is elated that he simply still has the chance to play.
"For me to be here is a blessing," Thompson said.
As a member of the practice squad he will practice every day with the Rams and will earn a paycheck, "still a good paycheck, a very good paycheck," as Thompson described it.
More importantly, "the practice squad is more of a developmental squad that [the Rams] use," Thompson said.
Players on the squad would be suitable for the NFL roster if there were more spots.
It is a relatively favorable position to be in, because a player on the practice squad can be called up at any time, notably when injuries occur to players on the 53-man roster.
"Things can change so quickly in the NFL," Thompson said.
Thompson has been most impressed by the demeanor of the veterans on the Rams.
"The veterans are great people," Thompson said, citing wide receiver Torry Holt and offensive lineman Orlando Pace as prime examples. "None of them are prima donnas." In fact, he considers Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce the model NFL player.
"He works so hard every day during practice," Thompson said of the four-time Pro-Bowler. "You can see the professionalism."
One other Ivy League alumnus is playing for the Rams. Former Harvard standout quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, is now the third-string QB for the Rams, having survived the final round of cuts.
"As soon as I met him, we became friends," Thompson said. "Playing with him every day is fun."
While Thompson marveled at the size of the crowd present at NFL games, especially in comparison to Penn games, he noted, "football is still football."
Ivies in the NFL - Matt Birk (Harv.) Minnesota - Jay Fiedler (Dartmouth) N.Y. Jets - Jim Finn (Penn) N.Y. Giants - Ryan Fitzpatrick (Harv.) St. Louis - Chris Heatherington (Yale) S.F. - Eric Johnson (Yale) San Francisco - Isaiah Kacyvenski (Harv.) Seattle - Nate Lawrie (Yale) Tampa Bay - Sean Morey (Brown) Pittsburgh - Ben Noll (Penn) Dallas - Seth Payne (Cornell) Houston - Dennis Norman (P'ton) Jax. - Marcellus Wiley (Columbia) Jax.
