Former Cal football players continued to make significant contributions to NFL teams during Week 6 of the 2010 NFL season. As of Oct. 18, 2010, there are 32 former Cal players currently active in the NFL that is the second-most among Pac-10 schools. Updates on many of these players are listed in this blog entry. A special note for this week is to send well wishes along to former Cal players DeSean Jackson and Zack Follett, both of whom left games in Week 6 after sustaining apparently serious injuries.
Former Cal football players continued to make significant contributions to NFL teams during Week 6 of the 2010 NFL season. As of Oct. 18, 2010, there are 32 former Cal players currently active in the NFL that is the second-most among Pac-10 schools. Updates on many of these players are listed in this blog entry. A special note for this week is to send well wishes along to former Cal players DeSean Jackson and Zack Follett, both of whom left games in Week 6 after sustaining serious injuries.
• Lorenzo Alexander has contributed 18 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two passes defended in six games played and three starts for 3-3 Washington. In Week 1, Alexander and former Cal teammate Andre Carter helped fellow Redskin DeAngelo Hall strip the ball from Dallas running back Tashard Choice on the final play of the first half, with Hall picking up the fumble and returning it 32 yards for a score in a 13-7 Washington win.
• Tyson Alualu, the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, has started at defensive tackle in each of his first five NFL games for 3-2 Jacksonville, contributing 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
• Nnamdi Asomugha has started all six games for 2-4 Oakland, contributing 11 tackles and four pass breakups. He has a pass breakup in each of his last four games.
• Tully Banta-Cain has posted 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks in five games played and one start for 4-1 New England, including a season-high eight tackes and 1.0 sack in a 28-14 loss at the New York Jets in Week 2.
• Jahvid Best, the 30th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, is off to a strong start as a professional player for 1-5 Detroit. Best has 257 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground in 80 carries, while adding an NFL rookie high 31 receptions for 285 receiving yards with one scoring catch. He had a huge game in a 35-32 Week 2 loss to Philadelphia, scoring three touchdowns, including a 75-yard TD reception, and totaling a combined 232 rushing and receiving yards (Rush: 17-78 2 TD; Rec: 9-154, TD). He has other strong games at Green Bay in Week 4 (Rush: 12-50; Rec: 5-54) and against St. Louis is Week 5 (Rush: 18-67; Rec: 4-37). The five touchdowns he scored in his first two NFL games equal Billy Sims (1980) for the most in Detroit history.
• The 38-year-old David Binn began his 18th campaign as the long snapper for 2-4 San Diego and played in his team-record 179th straight in a season-opening Monday Night Football loss at Kansas City, but injured his hamstring in the contest and was placed on injured reserve to end his campaign.
• Andre Carter has played in all six games with three starts for 3-3 Washington, contributing 17 tackles with a forced fumble and 1.0 sack (both in a Week 4 win at Philadelphia).
• Thomas DeCoud has started all six games for 4-2 Atlanta, contributing 27 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups. His biggest game statistically came in a Week 3 road upset of defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans when he recorded a season-high seven tackles, as well as his interception and one pass breakup.
• Zack Follett has 21 tackles and a pass breakup in five games played and two starts for 1-5 Detroit, with a season-high six of his tackles coming in a 35-32 Week 2 loss to Philadelphia. He made five tackles in his most recent game at New York in Week 6 before he was injured, carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
• Justin Forsett has played in all five games with four starts for 3-2 Seattle, rushing for team-highs of 282 yards on 61 carries with one touchdown, making 10 catches for 75 yards and returning three punts for 17 yards. Forsett's biggest game came during a 23-20 win at Chicago in Week 6 when he rushed 10 times for a season-high 67 yards and his first TD of the season.
• Scott Fujita, a member of the 2009 New Orleans squad that won Super Bowl XLIV, has started all six games in his first season with 1-5 Cleveland, recording 33 tackles and 2.5 sacks that are second on the team as well as two forced fumbles to lead the squad, with both of the forces and sacks coming in back-to-back contests vs. Cincinnati and Atlanta (1.0 sack and 1 FF each game) in Weeks 4 and 5.
• Mike Gibson has played in five games with one start for 3-2 Seattle.
• Tony Gonzalez became the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions and the seventh player overall when he made the mark in a Week 1 game at Pittsburgh. Now in his 14th season overall and second with Atlanta, Gonzalez has started all six games and contributed 27 catches for 265 yards and three touchdowns for the 4-2 Falcons. Gonzalez recorded season-bests of eight catches and 110 receiving yards, as well as his first touchdown grab of the campaign against New Orleans before becoming the first NFL tight end to get to 12,000 career receiving yards vs. the 49ers in Week 4 and grabbing a pair TD catches in Week 6 at Philadelphia.
• Nick Harris is averaging 44.2 yards per punt (third-best average of his career) on 29 attempts and has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line six times for 1-5 Detroit. Harris punted four times for an average of 52.5 yards per punt (second-best in Week 2) with a long of 66 against Philadelphia.
• Dante Hughes (known as Daymeion Hughes during his Cal career) has played in two games off the bench for 2-4 San Diego, contributing a tackle and a forced fumble.
• DeSean Jackson has started all six games for 4-2 Philadelphia, recording 19 catches for 395 yards, six rushes for 67 yards and a TD, and 10 punt returns for 76 yards. He had season-highs of 153 yards receiving and five catches with a 61-yard touchdown catch (the 10th TD catch of his career of 50 or more yards) coming in a Week 3 win at Jacksonville. Jackson also had 135 on four catches with a touchdown in Week 2 at Detroit. One of his catches against the Lions went for 53 yards while another one was a 45-yard TD that opened the day's scoring. He has added nine punt returns for 72 yards and four rushes for 23. He had one catch for a 34-yard TD and two rushes for 44 yards, including a 31-yard TD in his most recent game vs. Atlanta in Week 6 before he suffered a severe concussion and was removed for the remainder of the game. With at least one receiving and rushing TD in each of his first three NFL seasons, Jackson is the first NFL receiver to accomplish this since Jerry Rice from 1985-87.
• L.P. LaDouceur has played in five games off the bench for 1-4 Dallas.
• Ryan Longwell has converted all four of his field goals in 2010 with a long of 41 in Week 1 at New Orleans and a game-winning 38-yarder with 4:03 to go in Week 6 vs. Dallas for 2-3 Minnesota. Longwell has had one of his 10 extra-point attempts blocked, also at New Orleans.
• Marshawn Lynch started three of four games for 0-4 Buffalo before being traded to 3-2 Seattle. After a bye week, Lynch started in his debut for the Seahawks and rushed 17 times for 44 yards and a touchdown in a 23-20 win at Chicago. Lynch had been the Bills' rushing leader through four games. He had back-to-back strong individual game in Weeks 2 and 3, carrying the ball 17 times for 64 yards at Green Bay and 13 times for 79 yards at New England. He has a combined 208 rushing yards on 54 carries with one touchdown.
• Alex Mack has extended his consecutive games started streak to 22 by starting each of the first six games for 1-5 Cleveland. The second-year NFL player has started every game possible in his professional career.
• Brandon Mebane started each of the first four games before sitting out the fifth game with an injury for 3-2 Seattle. Mebane has totaled eight tackles and 1.0 sack, including four stops with 2.0 tackles for loss in Week 2 at Denver.
• Cameron Morrah has played in four games off the bench and made one catch for 11 yards in a Week 1 victory over San Francisco for 3-2 Seattle.
• Aaron Rodgers has started all six games for 3-3 Green Bay, hitting on 129-of-201 passes (64.2%) for 1,546 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions for an 89.7 passer rating. Rodgers' 10 TD throws are tied for third in the NFL as he has thrown for at least one score in all six games. He has added three more scores and 113 yards rushing on 23 carries. His 12 rushing scores since 2008 are the most by an NFL quarterback. Rodgers had his top statistical game in the team's Week 3 loss at Chicago, hitting on 34-of-45 passes for 316 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He passed the 10,000-yard career passing mark in Week 5 at Washington. He threw for 313 yards in Week 6 vs. Miami, including an 86-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings that was the longest of his career and the longest for the Packers since Brett Favre threw a 99-yard scoring strike to Robert Brooks in 1995.
• Craig Stevens has started four games and played in five for 3-2 Tennessee, contributing five catches for 54 yards.
• Nick Sundberg has played in all six games for 3-3 Washington.
• Syd'Quan Thompson came up with his first NFL interception in Week 6 vs. the New York Jets and has made four tackles in three games off the bench for 2-4 Denver.
• Langston Walker has started all six games for 2-4 Oakland.
• Lorenzo Alexander has contributed 18 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two passes defended in six games played and three starts for 3-3 Washington. In Week 1, Alexander and former Cal teammate Andre Carter helped fellow Redskin DeAngelo Hall strip the ball from Dallas running back Tashard Choice on the final play of the first half, with Hall picking up the fumble and returning it 32 yards for a score in a 13-7 Washington win.
• Tyson Alualu, the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, has started at defensive tackle in each of his first five NFL games for 3-2 Jacksonville, contributing 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
• Nnamdi Asomugha has started all six games for 2-4 Oakland, contributing 11 tackles and four pass breakups. He has a pass breakup in each of his last four games.
• Tully Banta-Cain has posted 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks in five games played and one start for 4-1 New England, including a season-high eight tackes and 1.0 sack in a 28-14 loss at the New York Jets in Week 2.
• Jahvid Best, the 30th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, is off to a strong start as a professional player for 1-5 Detroit. Best has 257 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground in 80 carries, while adding an NFL rookie high 31 receptions for 285 receiving yards with one scoring catch. He had a huge game in a 35-32 Week 2 loss to Philadelphia, scoring three touchdowns, including a 75-yard TD reception, and totaling a combined 232 rushing and receiving yards (Rush: 17-78 2 TD; Rec: 9-154, TD). He has other strong games at Green Bay in Week 4 (Rush: 12-50; Rec: 5-54) and against St. Louis is Week 5 (Rush: 18-67; Rec: 4-37). The five touchdowns he scored in his first two NFL games equal Billy Sims (1980) for the most in Detroit history.
• The 38-year-old David Binn began his 18th campaign as the long snapper for 2-4 San Diego and played in his team-record 179th straight in a season-opening Monday Night Football loss at Kansas City, but injured his hamstring in the contest and was placed on injured reserve to end his campaign.
• Andre Carter has played in all six games with three starts for 3-3 Washington, contributing 17 tackles with a forced fumble and 1.0 sack (both in a Week 4 win at Philadelphia).
• Thomas DeCoud has started all six games for 4-2 Atlanta, contributing 27 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups. His biggest game statistically came in a Week 3 road upset of defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans when he recorded a season-high seven tackles, as well as his interception and one pass breakup.
• Zack Follett has 21 tackles and a pass breakup in five games played and two starts for 1-5 Detroit, with a season-high six of his tackles coming in a 35-32 Week 2 loss to Philadelphia. He made five tackles in his most recent game at New York in Week 6 before he was injured, carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
• Justin Forsett has played in all five games with four starts for 3-2 Seattle, rushing for team-highs of 282 yards on 61 carries with one touchdown, making 10 catches for 75 yards and returning three punts for 17 yards. Forsett's biggest game came during a 23-20 win at Chicago in Week 6 when he rushed 10 times for a season-high 67 yards and his first TD of the season.
• Scott Fujita, a member of the 2009 New Orleans squad that won Super Bowl XLIV, has started all six games in his first season with 1-5 Cleveland, recording 33 tackles and 2.5 sacks that are second on the team as well as two forced fumbles to lead the squad, with both of the forces and sacks coming in back-to-back contests vs. Cincinnati and Atlanta (1.0 sack and 1 FF each game) in Weeks 4 and 5.
• Mike Gibson has played in five games with one start for 3-2 Seattle.
• Tony Gonzalez became the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions and the seventh player overall when he made the mark in a Week 1 game at Pittsburgh. Now in his 14th season overall and second with Atlanta, Gonzalez has started all six games and contributed 27 catches for 265 yards and three touchdowns for the 4-2 Falcons. Gonzalez recorded season-bests of eight catches and 110 receiving yards, as well as his first touchdown grab of the campaign against New Orleans before becoming the first NFL tight end to get to 12,000 career receiving yards vs. the 49ers in Week 4 and grabbing a pair TD catches in Week 6 at Philadelphia.
• Nick Harris is averaging 44.2 yards per punt (third-best average of his career) on 29 attempts and has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line six times for 1-5 Detroit. Harris punted four times for an average of 52.5 yards per punt (second-best in Week 2) with a long of 66 against Philadelphia.
• Dante Hughes (known as Daymeion Hughes during his Cal career) has played in two games off the bench for 2-4 San Diego, contributing a tackle and a forced fumble.
• DeSean Jackson has started all six games for 4-2 Philadelphia, recording 19 catches for 395 yards, six rushes for 67 yards and a TD, and 10 punt returns for 76 yards. He had season-highs of 153 yards receiving and five catches with a 61-yard touchdown catch (the 10th TD catch of his career of 50 or more yards) coming in a Week 3 win at Jacksonville. Jackson also had 135 on four catches with a touchdown in Week 2 at Detroit. One of his catches against the Lions went for 53 yards while another one was a 45-yard TD that opened the day's scoring. He has added nine punt returns for 72 yards and four rushes for 23. He had one catch for a 34-yard TD and two rushes for 44 yards, including a 31-yard TD in his most recent game vs. Atlanta in Week 6 before he suffered a severe concussion and was removed for the remainder of the game. With at least one receiving and rushing TD in each of his first three NFL seasons, Jackson is the first NFL receiver to accomplish this since Jerry Rice from 1985-87.
• L.P. LaDouceur has played in five games off the bench for 1-4 Dallas.
• Ryan Longwell has converted all four of his field goals in 2010 with a long of 41 in Week 1 at New Orleans and a game-winning 38-yarder with 4:03 to go in Week 6 vs. Dallas for 2-3 Minnesota. Longwell has had one of his 10 extra-point attempts blocked, also at New Orleans.
• Marshawn Lynch started three of four games for 0-4 Buffalo before being traded to 3-2 Seattle. After a bye week, Lynch started in his debut for the Seahawks and rushed 17 times for 44 yards and a touchdown in a 23-20 win at Chicago. Lynch had been the Bills' rushing leader through four games. He had back-to-back strong individual game in Weeks 2 and 3, carrying the ball 17 times for 64 yards at Green Bay and 13 times for 79 yards at New England. He has a combined 208 rushing yards on 54 carries with one touchdown.
• Alex Mack has extended his consecutive games started streak to 22 by starting each of the first six games for 1-5 Cleveland. The second-year NFL player has started every game possible in his professional career.
• Brandon Mebane started each of the first four games before sitting out the fifth game with an injury for 3-2 Seattle. Mebane has totaled eight tackles and 1.0 sack, including four stops with 2.0 tackles for loss in Week 2 at Denver.
• Cameron Morrah has played in four games off the bench and made one catch for 11 yards in a Week 1 victory over San Francisco for 3-2 Seattle.
• Aaron Rodgers has started all six games for 3-3 Green Bay, hitting on 129-of-201 passes (64.2%) for 1,546 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions for an 89.7 passer rating. Rodgers' 10 TD throws are tied for third in the NFL as he has thrown for at least one score in all six games. He has added three more scores and 113 yards rushing on 23 carries. His 12 rushing scores since 2008 are the most by an NFL quarterback. Rodgers had his top statistical game in the team's Week 3 loss at Chicago, hitting on 34-of-45 passes for 316 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He passed the 10,000-yard career passing mark in Week 5 at Washington. He threw for 313 yards in Week 6 vs. Miami, including an 86-yard TD pass to Greg Jennings that was the longest of his career and the longest for the Packers since Brett Favre threw a 99-yard scoring strike to Robert Brooks in 1995.
• Craig Stevens has started four games and played in five for 3-2 Tennessee, contributing five catches for 54 yards.
• Nick Sundberg has played in all six games for 3-3 Washington.
• Syd'Quan Thompson came up with his first NFL interception in Week 6 vs. the New York Jets and has made four tackles in three games off the bench for 2-4 Denver.
• Langston Walker has started all six games for 2-4 Oakland.
Leave a comment