The Atlanta Falcons today announced that they have signed 22 college free agents, including TE Lamark Brown (Minnesota-Mankato), LB Rico Council (Tennessee State), QB Dominique Davis (East Carolina), S Chad Faulcon (Montclair), RB Robbie Frey (Kutztown), LB Max Gruder (Pittsburgh), T Bryce Harris (Fresno State), LB Jerrell Harris (Alabama), LS Josh Harris (Auburn), C Tyler Horn (Miami), WR Marcus Jackson (Lamar), DT Ray Kibble (Kansas State), G Phillip Manley (Toledo), CB Marty Markett (South Carolina), TE Adam Nissley (Central Florida), DE Louis Nzegwu (Wisconsin), WR Cody Pearcy (Huntingdon), DT Micanor Regis (Miami), WR James Rodgers (Oregon State), LB Pat Schiller (Northern Illinois), CB Peyton Thompson (San Jose St.) and P Dawson Zimmerman (Clemson).
Brown, 6-3, 220 pounds, caught 31 passes for 405 yards with five touchdowns during his senior season at Minnesota-Mankato. He also added 31 carries for 98 yards with four touchdowns. Prior to arriving at Minnesota-Mankato, he was a three-year player at Kansas State.
Council, 6-1, 255 pounds, was tabbed Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Tennessee State. In 2011, he posted a team-high 87 tackles (49 solo) with 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, 11 passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. The Chattanooga, TN native was named to the All-OVC second team as a junior, received TSU Heart of a Tiger Courage Award and earned first team All-HBCU honors as a sophomore.
Davis, 6-3, 210 pounds, completed 67.6 percent of his passes (334-of-494) for 3,225 yards with 25 touchdowns as a senior at East Carolina. In 2011, he was a fourth team preseason all-conference selection by Phil Steele and named to the watch lists for the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards. Davis turned in a record-breaking campaign during first season with the Pirates, completing 393 of 609 pass attempts for 3,967 yards with 37 touchdowns in 2010. He began his college career at Boston College where he redshirted during Falcons QB Matt Ryan's senior season with the Eagles.
Faulcon, 6-0, 190 pounds, earned NJAC and D3Football.com East Region Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as Division III All-America honors as a senior at Montclair State. A two-year starter for the Red Hawks, Faulcon appeared in 40 career contests totaling 169 tackles (106 solo) with 13 tackles for loss. He picked off seven passes in his career and tallied 17 passes defensed as well as four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a blocked kick.
Frey, 6-0, 203 pounds, played in 12 games in his senior year and posted a team-high 1,185 rushing yards on 189 carries in 2011. His 11 touchdowns were the most by a Kutztown back since 2002. He played three seasons at the University of Connecticut prior to transferring to Kutztown for his senior season.
Gruder, 6-2, 230 pounds, notched a team-high 116 tackles (58 solo) with 8.5 tackles for loss, three passes defensed and one half sack in his senior season at Pittsburgh. A versatile linebacker, he played a starting role at both weak side and middle linebacker in 2010 and was the team's starting weak side backer in 2009. Gruder also earned Big East All-Academic honors twice during his career.
Bryce Harris, 6-6, 300 pounds, was selected to the All-WAC first team by the league coaches and named to Phil Steele's All-WAC first team after starting in all 13 games at left tackle at Fresno State. He played for Falcons offensive line coach Pat Hill, who served as the Bulldogs head coach prior to arriving in Atlanta. Harris helped guide RB Robbie Rouse to a WAC-best 1,549 rushing yards, which was the third highest rushing total in single season in school history. He also blocked for QB Derek Carr, who became just the fifth Bulldog to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season.
Jerrell Harris, 6-3, 242 pounds, started at strong side linebacker for the National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide and recorded 22 tackles (12 solo) with 2.5 tackles for loss. In 2010, he started at both strong and weak side linebacker and finished with 24 tackles. Harris also played in six games for the Crimson Tide on special teams and as a backup linebacker during their BCS National Championship season in 2009.
Josh Harris, 6-1, 224 pounds, served as Auburn's long snapper on field goals, punts and PATs for the last three seasons, including 2010 when the Tigers won the BCS National Championship. The Carrollton, GA native was a SEC Academic Honor Roll selection in 2008 and 2009.
Horn, 6-4, 305 pounds, started his final 25 games at center for Miami and was named a second team All-ACC selection, and team captain. He blocked for RB Lamar Miller, who rushed for 1,335 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Horn anchored an offensive line that allowed the Hurricanes to average 145.7 rushing yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry in 2011.
Jackson, 6-1, 195 pounds, finished with 65 catches for 1,159 yards during his two seasons at Lamar. He posted 24 receptions for 432 yards and six touchdowns while leading the team with 18.0 yards per catch as a senior. Jackson's eight touchdown catches in 2010 were the second most in a single season in school history. He also hauled in 17 passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns at Navarro College, helping the Bulldogs to an 11-1 record and a No. 3 ranking in the 2009 National Junior College Athletic Association.
Kibble, 6-4, 305 pounds, notched 38 tackles (14 solo) with 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble during his senior season at Kansas State. In 2010, he appeared in all 13 games with nine starts and made 30 tackles (11 solo) with one half sack. He earned second team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference honors as a defensive lineman in 2009 at Navarro College.
Manley, 6-5, 309 pounds, was a two-year starter at guard for Toledo. In 2011, he helped pave the way for the Rockets offense to rush for 2,777 yards, including RB Adonis Thomas, who logged a team-high 1,071 yards.
Markett, 5-10, 162 pounds, played both cornerback and special teams after walking on to the Gamecocks as a sophomore in 2009. He made 26 stops (21 solo) in 2011 after recording 12 tackles and one pass defensed in 2010. Markett earned All-America honors as part of South Carolina's 4x100 meter relay team in 2008.
Nissley, 6-6, 267 pounds, played in 51 games with 38 receptions for 465 yards with two touchdowns at Central Florida. He was a two time All-Conference USA honorable mention selection and his 21 receptions in 2011 were the fourth most in a single season in school history. A Cumming, GA native, Nissley played at South Forsyth High School where he was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-Northside First Team and AJC Northside Super 11.
Nzegwu, 6-4, 255 pounds, was a four-year letter winner for the Badgers appearing in 48 games with 27 starts and logging 100 tackles (53 solo) with 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He started all 14 games and led the Badgers with 4.5 sacks helping Wisconsin reach the Rose Bowl in 2011. Nzegwu also recorded at least three sacks in each of his final three seasons.
Pearcy, 5-11, 160 pounds, is Huntingdon's all-time leader with 147 receptions, 2,632 receiving yards, 25 touchdown catches and a 17.9 yard per reception average. He caught a team-high 46 passes for 766 yards with eight touchdowns during his senior season. In 2010, Pearcy was a first team D-III Senior Classic Preseason All-American and rewrote the Hawks record books logging 51 catches for 1,078 yards with 12 touchdowns.
Regis, 6-3, 305 pounds, played in 46 career games with 112 tackles (52 solo), 5.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and three interceptions at Miami. He was a reliable and consistent defender for the Hurricanes as he finished the 2011 season with 41 tackles (19 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. In 2010 he notched 42 tackles (19 solo), eight tackles for loss and three sacks.
Rodgers, 5-7, 188 pounds, finished his career as one of the greatest receivers and all-purpose players in Oregon State history. He established a school record with 222 career receptions, including an OSU record 91 catches in 2009. He also set the Oregon State career record with 6,377 all-purpose yards and is the first player in OSU history with 1,000 yards rushing and 2,000 yards receiving. He joins his brother RB Jacquizz Rodgers, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Schiller, 6-2, 235 pounds, earned second team All Mid-American Conference honors from Phil Steele and was named NIU's Linebacker of the Year by the coaching staff after leading the team with 115 tackles (42 solo), two sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2011. In four seasons, Schiller collared 239 tackles (91 solo), three sacks, 19 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, seven passes defensed and one interception.
Thompson, 5-11, 180 pounds, logged 186 tackles (125 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, one sack, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 22 passes defensed in four seasons at San Jose State. He played in 47 games, including 33 starts, seeing time at cornerback and on special teams. Thompson was credited with downing four punts inside opponent's five-yard line during his final three seasons.
Zimmerman, 6-2, 205 pounds, was named an Academic All-ACC selection and team specialist of the year in 2010, posting a 42.7-yard average on 60 punts along with 19 punts inside the 20, nine punts of 50 yards, and a 40.6-yard net average.
Falcons Undrafted Rookies on Twitter
@DDavisECU - Rookie quarterback Dominique Davis
@JRodgers1 - Rookie wide receiver James Rodgers
@LBrown7 - Rookie wide receiver LaMark Brown
@ANISSLEY88 - Rookie tight end Adam Nissley
@Tyler63Horn - Rookie center Tyler Horn
@codypearcy - Rookie wide receiver Cody Pearcy
@PatSchiller53 - Rookie linebacker Pat Schiller
@guccigruder55 - Rookie linebacker Max Gruder
@BamaBoy256 - Rookie linebacker Jerrell Harris
@MicanorLRegis - Rookie defensive tackle Micanor Regis
@thedawsonzim - Rookie punter Dawson Zimmerman
@aujharris - Rookie long snapper Josh Harris
@LouisNzegwu - Rookie DE Louis Nzgewu
