Fresno State Athletics
Six Bulldogs Set for NFL Playoffs
1/6/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 6, 2012
FRESNO, Calif. - The NFL Playoffs begins with Wild Card Weekend kicking off on Saturday and six former Fresno State Bulldogs are on the active rosters of playoff teams.
Leading the Bulldog alum is New England Patriots offensive guard Logan Mankins, who was voted a starter for the Pro Bowl this year. It is the third time in his career he has been voted to the Pro Bowl.
Joining Mankins with the Patriots is fellow offensive lineman, center Ryan Wendell. Mankins has started in 15 games this season and Wendell has played in 14 with three starts, and the two guided the Patriots to the top record in the AFC at 13-3. New England has a bye this weekend and faces the winner of Saturday's match-up between Houston and Cincinnati.
On the Houston Texans roster is former Bulldog running back Derrick Ward, who was a freshman All-American at Fresno State in 1999. Ward has rushed 45 times this season for 154 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans and Bengals kickoff at 1:30 p.m. PT Saturday from Reliant Stadium.
In the NFC, three former Bulldogs will be on the field Sunday at 10 a.m. PT when the New York Giants host the Atlanta Falcons.
Leading the Giants into the playoffs was Bulldog alum Bear Pascoe and David Carr. Pascoe played in all 16 games and made 11 starts at tight end. He caught 12 passes this season for 126 yards. Carr is the back-up to Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning.
For the Falcons, safety James Sanders led Atlanta into the playoffs with a 10-6 record and he finished seventh on the team with 41 tackles in the regular season.
Also on Atlanta's roster is guard Andrew Jackson, who was an Academic All-American at Fresno State in 2009 and a first-team All-WAC selection that same year. Jackson is inactive for the playoffs due to injury.
One other NFL player of note in the playoffs this weekend is Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller. Miller played for new Fresno State head coach Tim DeRuyter and Bulldog defensive coordinator Nick Toth when they all were together at Texas A&M for Miller's senior season in 2010.
Miller was selected to the Pro Bowl as a starter in his rookie season and as a senior at A&M under DeRuyter and Toth, he won the Butkus Award given annually to the nation's most outstanding linebacker.
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