Colonels Send Three More Players to NFL Ranks

With Eastern Kentucky's success on the football field welldocumented since the inception of I-AA football in 1978, the Colonels have also enjoyed huge success in providing signees to the different professional football leagues through the years.

A total of 33 former EKU Colonels in the past ten seasons have either been drafted or have signed as free agents with NFL clubs, including this year's additions-tight end Jason Dunn (Philadelphia Eagles, second round) , punter/kicker Marc Collins (Seattle Seahawks, free agent) and wide receiver Dialleo Burks (Philadelphia Eagles, free agent) .

Several EKU Colonels have played in the old American Football League , the now-defunct World League , the Canadian Football League, the World League of American Football , the Arena Football League and the National Football League

Split-end Aaron Marsh in 1968 began the parade of modernday Colonels to professional football as he signed and started that season for the Boston Patriots of the AFL. EKU 's next big entry was that of former Time Magazine All -American and the No . 8 pick in the 1973 NFL Draft , defensive tackle Wally Chambers He finished his first season in grand style by being named the National Football Conference's Defensive Rookie of the Year .

Entering the begining of the NFL's summer pre-season camps in July this year , nine former Eastern players were on NFL rosters . These include , with their first year in the NFL listed, offensive tackle John Jackson (1988)-Pittsburgh Steelers ; defensive end Aaron Jones (1988)-Miami Dolphins ; runningback Tim Lester (1991 )-Pittsburgh Steelers ; linebacker David Wilkins (1992)-lndianapolis Colts ; defensive end Chad Bratzke (1994)-New York Giants ; Bryan Dickerson (1995)-Jacksonville Jaquars; and Dunn, Collins and Burks