Two former IU football players are in the headlines as the 2025 NFL season gets set to kickoff Thursday evening.
Marcelino McCrary-Ball, who played the husky position for Tom Allen at IU and is a linebacker in the NFL, has been named a special teams captain of the New York Jets.
McCrary-Ball entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He initially signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, was signed to the Jets’ practice squad in August 2023, and spent time on the active roster in 2023 and ’24. McCrary-Ball played in 12 games last season, taking 200 special teams snaps and posting 7 coverage tackles, tied for second-most on the Jets.
“The journey is still ongoing, so I’m not done yet, not even close,” McCrary-Ball said in a media session posted on the Jets website. “So to be named [a] captain, recognized by my peers, and see that they believe me 100 percent to lead the special teams, I mean, it’s an honor, for sure. It’s definitely an honor.
“I feel like my attitude, the energy I bring. I feel like, whether I’m here for two years, whether I’m playing two games, I feel like the energy I bring, it’s recognized.”
McCrary-Ball was recently joined by his former IU teammate Cam Jones in New York. They’ll face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Look for both Jones and McCrary-Ball on the Jets’ special teams.
Meanwhile, former IU wide receiver and punt returner Myles Price has gone from undrafted to No. 1 on the Minnesota Vikings depth chart at both punt returner and kickoff returner.
Price earned a spot on the roster with a string of solid performances in the Vikings’ exhibition games, highlighted by an 81-yard kickoff return.
Price will get a chance to return kicks under the Monday Night Football spotlight in week one when the Vikings face the Chicago Bears.
In his one Hoosier season after transferring from Texas Tech, Price did a little bit of everything for Indiana. He caught 38 passes for 466 yards and three touchdowns, ran seven times for 63 yards and a TD, and returned 23 punts for 289 yards with a long of 65 yards.
Here is the full list of former IU players on NFL rosters and practice squads as the regular season gets underway:
Made teams:
- Myles Price, Minnesota Vikings
- Marcelino McCrary-Ball, New York Jets
- Micah McFadden, New York Giants
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Miami Dolphins
- C.J. West, San Francisco 49ers
- Kurtis Rourke, San Francisco 49ers (Reserve/Non-Football Injury List)
- Ian Thomas, Las Vegas Raiders
- Cam Jones, New York Jets
Made practice squad:
- Ke’Shawn Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Raheem Layne, New York Giants
- Dan Feeney, Buffalo Bills
- Luke Haggard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Zach Horton, Detroit Lions
For complete coverage of former IU athletes in the professional ranks, GO HERE.
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