A trio of former FAMU University football stars got some reps in the NFL preseason and both made some big plays.
Dallas Cowboys rookie Isaiah Land and Los Angeles Rams rookie Xavier Smith both had memorable moments on Saturday night, while second-year Cowboys safety Markquese Bell was solid once again.
Land, the rookie edge, came up with a sack on Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback Holton Ahlers early in the fourth quarter of the second preseason game for the Dallas Cowboys. Ahlers temporarily lost the ball but managed to fall back on it. Land finished with three tackles in the game after drawing multiple penalties in his preseason debut the week before.
Bell continued to make plays on the defensive side of the ball, coming up with four tackles in the game, which resulted in a 22-14 win for the Seahawks. Bell’s performance comes on the heels of a 10-tackle performance the previous week.
Meanwhile, Smith hauled in a spectacular 25 yard catch from rookie Stetson Bennett as the Los Angeles Rams took on the Las Vegas Raiders. It was his lone catch of the game, but it was a memorable one.
Smith, Bell and Land were all a part of FAMU teams that won nine games each in 2019 and 2021 (the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19). Bell landed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2022, making the active roster at the end of training camp. This season both Land and Smith will attempt to do the same while Bell looks to get more playing time on the defensive side of the ball.