Training camps have opened up around the NFL, and former Indiana stars are on the move and in the news.
Here are updates from the last week on offensive linemen Simon Stepaniak and Jason Spriggs, along with wide receiver Cody Latimer.
SIMON STEPANIAK RETIRES
After missing the last two practices of the Green Bay Packers training camp, former IU offensive lineman Simon Stepaniak has decided to retire.
The Packers announced that they have placed Stepaniak on the reserve/retired list. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Saturday.
Stepaniak was running as the No. 2 right guard early on at the Packers camp.
The Packers drafted Stepaniak in the sixth round in 2020, but he never played a down in the NFL.
During his senior season, Stepaniak tore an anterior cruciate ligament before Indiana’s Gator Bowl appearance. He underwent surgery in January 2020 and spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve. The Packers activated Stepaniak from injured reserve for the final four regular-season games of last season, but he was inactive for all four.
Stepaniak started 31 games (30 at right guard, 1 at left guard) and appeared in 41 games for IU. Unless he has a change of heart, his final football game will be Indiana’s 2019 win over Purdue.
JASON SPRIGGS SIGNS WITH FALCONS
Former IU All-American tackle Jason Spriggs is with his third NFL team since he graduated in 2016. He has signed with the Atlanta Falcons and is competing for a roster spot at training camp.
Originally drafted in the second round (48th overall) of the 2016 Draft by the Green Bay Packers, Spriggs has seen NFL action in 44 games. He signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears in 2020 where he played in eight games.
Spriggs, 27, dealt with injuries in Green Bay that kept him from being a major contributor. Over his five-year NFL career, he has started nine games. Spriggs is expected to provide depth at right tackle.
Spriggs, along with right guard Dan Feeney, became the fifth and sixth first team All-American offensive linemen in IU program history. He started 28 consecutive games to begin his career and made 47 starts in 48 games at left tackle.
LATIMER PLEADS GUILTY
Free agent receiver Cody Latimer pled guilty this week to a misdemeanor assault charge that arose from his May 16, 2020, arrest. All other charges against Latimer related to the incident were dismissed.
Latimer received two years probation, with no jail time, and was ordered to pay $1,503 in probation and court fees according to Mike Klis of 9News. He faced charges of assault in the second degree, menacing, illegal discharge of a firearm, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment. The NFL placed Latimer on the Commissioner’s Exempt List after his arrest in Colorado, and the Washington Football Team cut him.
Latimer, a 2014 second-round draft pick of the Broncos, played in Denver for four seasons and then two more years with the New York Giants. He had signed with Washington as a free agent during the 2020 offseason. He has played in 66 games with 15 starts over his NFL career. Latimer has caught 70 passes for 935 yards and six touchdowns.
Latimer declared for the NFL Draft on Jan. 5, 2014, forgoing his senior season. He became the 21st Hoosier to reach 100 catches and 1,000 yards. Latimer closed out his career tied for fourth in 100-yard games (seventh) and seventh in yardage (2,042) and receptions (135) on Indiana’s all-time lists. He made at least one catch in all 32 career games (24 starts).
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