NFL Players from South Jersey update
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South Jersey has always enjoyed a rich history in the NFL and this past season was no different. There were several difference makers who graduated from South Jersey high schools. Here is a list of some of the top players and how they fared in 2022. To make the list, the player had to graduate from a school in the seven-county South Jersey area.
Anthony Averett, CB Las Vegas Raiders (Woodbury H.S.). Injuries limited him to seven games, which included six starts. Averett recorded 13 tackles and one pass defended. This was his fifth NFL season, with the first four in Baltimore.
Shaun Bradley, LB, Eagles (Rancocas Valley). A special teams standout, Bradley played the first 15 games this season before being sidelined by injury. He had seven tackles and just completed his third season with the Eagles.
Damiere Byrd, WR Atlanta Falcons (Timber Creek). Byrd just completed his seventh NFL season and his first with the Falcons. In 14 games he had 13 receptions for 268 yards (20.6 avg) and two touchdowns.
Sean Chandler, S, Carolina Panthers (Camden H.S). Chandler appeared in all 17 games for the Panthers as a reserve and recorded 19 tackles. He just completed his fifth NFL season and second with Carolina.
Corey Clement, RB, Arizona Cardinals (Glassboro H.S.). The former Super Bowl star with the Eagles, Clement appeared in nine games for Arizona, making one start. He had 15 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Joe Flacco, QB NY Jets (Audubon H.S.). Flacco was a backup for the Jets and completed his 15th NFL season by appearing in five games, with four starts. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,051 yards and five touchdowns.
Harrison Hand, DB, Chicago Bears (Cherry Hill West). Hand, who played his first two seasons in Minnesota, appeared in four games with the Bears, making 12 tackles.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints (Glassboro H.S.). Johnson just completed his third season with the Saints and it was his best. He had 42 receptions for 508 yards (12.1 avg.) and seven touchdowns.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (Vineland H.S.). Pacheco was a seventh-round draft choice from Rutgers and one of the most pleasant surprises in the NFL. He wasn’t a starter at the beginning of the season but eventually earned the spot. Pacheco played all 17 regular season games, with 11 starts for the Super Bowl champs.
He rushed for 830 yards (4.9 avg.) and five touchdowns in the regular season while catching 13 passes for 130 yards.
Pacheco excelled in the postseason. In three playoff games, he rushed for 197 yards (5.3 avg.) and a touchdown. Against the Eagles in the Chiefs’ 38-35 Super Bowl win. Pacheco rushed for 76 yards on 15 carries (5.07 avg.) and one touchdown.
Pacheco, a former dual-threat quarterback at Vineland, turns 23 on March 2 and it will be difficult to top his debut NFL season.
Haason Reddick, LB, Eagles (Haddon Heights H.S.). In his sixth NFL season, it was a breakout year for Reddick, who earned his first Pro Bowl selection. He had 49 tackles, 16 sacks and 26 quarterback hits in the regular season in helping lead the Eagles into the Super Bowl. Reddick added 3.5 sacks, nine tackles and six quarterback hits in three postseason games.
Logan Ryan, DB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Eastern). Injuries limited Ryan to nine games, where he had one interception and 37 tackles. This was Ryan’s 10th NFL season. He has played on two Super Bowl-winning teams with the New England Patriots.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts (Salem H.S.). An ankle injury limited Taylor to 11 games. He rushed for 861 yards (4.5 avg.) and four touchdowns after leading the NFL with 1,811 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021.
Photo Courtesy: Indianapolis Colts
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Author: Marc Narducci
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