September 5, 2025
Ferris State football alums Zach Sieler, Tavierre Thomas, and Caleb Murphy opening the season on NFL rosters
Ferris State University football alums Zach Sieler, Tavierre Thomas and Caleb Murphy have made NFL 53-man rosters and will be beginning the season this weekend.
Sieler, with the Miami Dolphins, Thomas, with the Minnesota Vikings, and Caleb Murphy, with the Los Angeles Chargers all made their franchises' opening day rosters and are slated to begin the year with matchups starting on Friday, Sept. 5.
The three Ferris State products on active 53-man rosters are the most of any NCAA Division II school in the country.
Murphy and the Chargers are slated to host Kansas City on Friday night at 8 p.m. while Sieler and the Dolphins will visit Indianapolis on Sept. 7 for a 1 p.m. game. Thomas will begin the year with the Vikings as the team travels to Chicago for a Monday Night Football matchup.
Both Sieler and Thomas will enter their eighth season in the NFL and have been regulars on the active roster throughout much of their professional football careers.
Sieler was named the Miami Dolphins' Most Valuable Player last fall while Thomas will will be playing for his fifth team.
Seven years ago, Sieler became Ferris State's first-ever NFL Draft choice when he was picked in the seventh round as the 238th overall selection by the Baltimore Ravens. He recently signed a major contract extension with the Dolphins.
Murphy originally signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and appeared in five games with the organization before signing with the Chargers midway through the 2024 campaign, making this his third year in the league.
Along with the three on active rosters, former Bulldog tight end Mason Pline is currently on the New Orleans Saints' injured reserve list after being lost for the season during preseason action. Former Bulldog Malik Taylor was in camp with the Detroit Lions this summer before being waived prior to the cut deadline.
Over the past 10 seasons, Ten Bulldog alums have seen NFL regular-season action over the past 10 seasons. Ferris State has also had 13 different players in NFL preseason camps over the past five years, which ranks among the most of any DII school in the country.
The Bulldog standouts currently in the NFL have all played key roles in leading Ferris State to 10 consecutive NCAA Division II Playoff appearances, which presently leads the country. Ferris State also ranks as the country's winningest programs over the past decade in DII Football and has won three of the last four DII National Championships.