Three NJCAA Alumni Added to the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl
New York City, NY - The NFL announced the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl replacement players for the AFC and NFC on Tuesday, January 30th with three former NJCAA student-athletes earning this distinct honor.
Former Itawamba Community College (MS) standout Darius Slay Jr. was named a pro bowler for the sixth time in his NFL career. During Slay's two-year career at Itawamba, he tallied 73 tackles, with four tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. Slay transferred to Mississippi State and spent two years playing for the Bulldogs and was named Second-team All-SEC. Coming out of Mississippi State, Slay was projected to be a second or third round pick and these projections were proven correct when the Detroit Lions selected Slay in the second round with pick 36 in the 2013 Draft. Darius Slay has put together quite the career with the Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles where he has been named a 2017 First Team All-Pro, 2017 NFL Interceptions Co-Leader with eight, and a 6x Pro Bowler (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023).
Jermaine Johnson III was selected to his first pro bowl in his second year with the New York Jets. Johnson III started his college career at Independence Community College (KS) where in his two seasons with the Pirates he had 96 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and four force fumbles. He then transferred to the University of Georgia for two seasons finishing with 36 tackles, eight tackles for loss, seven and a half sacks, and one force fumble. With one year of eligibility left, Johnson III transferred to Florida State where he had his best season yet with 70 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The New York Jets were impressed with the former Pirate and selected him in the first-round with pick 26 in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Northwest Mississippi Community College was once the home of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew, who was named the Pro Bowler for the first time this year. Minshew spent a lone season with the Rangers and delivered the third NJCAA Football National Championship to Senatobia, MS. The Rangers' single caller finished the year with a 61% completion rate, 28 touchdowns and 3,288 passing yards to be named 2015 NJCAA All-American honorable mention. Minshew then transferred to East Carolina for two seasons where he finished with a 58.1% completion rate, 3,487 yards passing, and 24 touchdowns. After graduating early from East Carolina, Gardner transferred to Washington State as a graduate transfer. In his lone season with the Cougars he finished with 4,766 passing yards and 38 touchdowns while being named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Minshew in the sixth-round with pick 178 in the 2019 NFL Draft. Minshew has spent five years in the league with three different teams (Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Indianapolis).
Slay, Johnson, and Minshew join the four NJCAA alumni that were selected for the Pro Bowl on Wednesday, January 3: Charvarius Ward, Tyreek Hill, Montez Sweat, and Lane Johnson. Read more about these four: https://www.njcaa.org/sports/fball/2023-24/releases/20240104i0ahe6
The NFL Pro Bowl Games will be played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on February 4th.
