As the 2016 NFL season starts tonight, 14 former Ohio Valley Conference players find themselves on NFL rosters for the season. That number includes 10 active players and four practice squad members.Among the players are two former Eastern Illinois quarterbacks who both won the Walter Payton Awards as the top players in the FCS in the Dallas Cowboy's*Tony Romo*and the New England Patriots'*Jimmy Garoppolo. Romo has been a four-time Pro Bowl selection while Garoppolo was a member of the Super Bowl Champions as a rookie in 2014. With Garoppolo starting the first four games of the year due to Tom Brady's suspension, EIU was poised to be the only school nationwide with two starting quarterbacks to begin the year; however, Romo suffered an injury in the preseason and will miss the first part of the season.Tennessee State's*Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was a starter for the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, has been a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2009, 2015) and is now with the New York Giants as he enters his ninth season in the NFL. He has 24 career interceptions.Five of the players competed in the OVC a season ago including a pair of players who were drafted in former Eastern Kentucky defensive end*Noah Spence*(Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and former Eastern Illinois linebacker*Kamu Grugier-Hill*(Philadelphia Eagles). The other players currently on rosters who played in the OVC 2015 include Jacksonville State running back*Troymaine Pope*(New York Jets) and defensive lineman*Chris Landrum*(San Diego Chargers practice squad) and Southeast Missouri wide receiver*Paul McRoberts*(L.A. Rams practice squad)..Seven of the nine current OVC football schools have at least one player in the NFL with Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State leading the way with three players apiece.Eastern Illinois holds the unique distinction of being the only school nationally to begin the season with a NFL starting quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo*of the New England Patriots), NFL Head Coach (Sean Payton*of the Saints) and NFL General Manager (Ryan Pace*of the Chicago Bears).* Nationwide 15 other schools meet two of the three criteria.Payton, the former EIU standout, is currently the only NFL head coach who attended an OVC school; he won Super Bowl XLIV with the Saints. Two other NFL head coaches (John Harbaugh*and*Rex Ryan) served an assistant coaches at OVC schools.The OVC can now claim three alumni as NFL general managers including Pace who begins his second year with the Bears. UT Martin graduate and former assistant coach*Jerry Reese*made waves in 2007 when he led the New York Giants to Super Bowl XLII in his first season as General Manager with the franchise; Reese led the team to another title in 2011. Former Southeast Missouri State player*Jon Robinson*is in his first year as G.M. with the Tennessee Titans.

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