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SALT LAKE CITY — The NFL season gets underway Thursday night when the Denver Broncos welcome the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens to Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Both teams feature players with ties to the state of Utah, as pro bowlers Zane Beadles and Haloti Ngata will suit up for the NFL opener. In all, there are currently 39 locals in the NFL, down from 70 last year.
There are several familiar faces in new places like Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith. He is looking for a fresh start with the Chiefs and hopes to lead a talented roster back to the playoffs.
Smith's new head coach is former BYU player Andy Reid. And on the other side of the ball for the Chiefs is another former Ute Sean Smith. Smith joined the Chiefs as a free agent during the offseason and the former Miami Dolphin will start at cornerback for the Chiefs on Sunday.
After winning a Super Bowl in Baltimore, Paul Kruger has made the move to another AFC North team. Kruger signed a five-year $40 million dollar contract with the Cleveland Browns.
There are two local rookies who are expected to make an instant impact in the league. BYU's Ziggy Ansah was having a terrific preseason until he suffered a concussion in practice on August 25. There has been no word on whether he will be ready to go for the season opener.
Former Ute Star Lotulelei has been projected by some experts as the likely defensive rookie of the year in the NFL. The Panthers expect big things from the former Utah Star who joins two other former Utes, Jordan Gross and Steve Smith, on the Carolina roster.
One of the biggest stories involving local players is the injury to Dennis Pitta. He suffered a dislocated hip after catching a pass in training camp on July 27. The injury was thought to be season ending, but the Ravens have placed Pitta on the injured reserve-designated to return list indicating there is a possibility he could be back in action late in the season.
Other locals on injured reserve with season-ending injuries are former Utah State Aggie Michael Smith in Tampa Bay and former Ute Joe Kruger with the Eagles.
Eric Weddle returns to San Diego for his seventh season in the NFL. The all-pro safety continues to earn high praise from his teammates and the story by ESPN's Grantland calls him "the best safety in the NFL."
Here is a complete list of Locals in the NFL in 2013, including those who have been signed to a practice squad:
| Locals in the NFL | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Position |
| BYU | ||
| Ansah, Ezekiel | Detroit Lions | Defensive End |
| Denney, John | Miami Dolphins | Long Snapper |
| Fangupo, Hebron | Pittsburgh Steelers | Defensive Tackle |
| Kehl, Bryan | Washington Redskins | Linebacker |
| Keisel, Brett | Pittsburgh Steelers | Defensive End |
| Pitta, Dennis | Baltimore Ravens | Tight End |
| Utah | ||
| Asiata, Matt | Minnesota Vikings | Running Back |
| Beadles, Zane | Denver Broncos | Guard |
| Bergstrom, Tony | Oakland Raiders | Offensive Tackle |
| Burton, Brandon | Buffalo Bills | Cornerback |
| Gross, Jordan | Carolina Panthers | Offensive Tackle |
| Kruger, Paul | Cleveland Browns | Linebacker |
| Kruger, Joe | Philadelphia Eagles | Defensive End |
| Lotulelei, Star | Carolina Panthers | Defensive Tackle |
| McCain, Brice | Houston Texans | Cornerback |
| Misi, Koa | Miami Dolphins | Linebacker |
| Reed, David | Indianapolis Colts | Wide Receiver |
| Schlauderaff, Caleb | New York Jets | Guard |
| Shelby, Derrick | Miami Dolphins | Defensive End |
| Smith, Steve | Carolina Panthers | Wide Receiver |
| Smith, Alex | Kansas City Chiefs | Quarterback |
| Smith, Sean | Kansas City Chiefs | Cornerback |
| Soliai, Paul | Miami Dolphins | Defensive Tackle |
| Stanford, R.J. | Miami Dolphins | Cornerback |
| Weddle, Eric | San Diego Chargers | Safety |
| Utah State | ||
| Bush, Jarrett | Green Bay Packers | Cornerback |
| Davis, Will | Miami Dolphins | Cornerback |
| Penn, Donald | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Offensive Tackle |
| Smith, Michael | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Running Back |
| Turbin, Robert | Seattle Seahawks | Running Back |
| Wagner, Bobby | Seattle Seahawks | Linebacker |
| Weber State | ||
| McQuistan, Paul | Seattle Seahawks | Guard |
| Southern Utah | ||
| Sorensen, Brad | San Diego Chargers | Quarterback |
| Locals who played for out of state schools | ||
| Player | School | Team |
| Stanley Havili | Cottonwood | Indianapolis Colts |
| Stephen Paea | Timpview | Chicago Bears |
| Will Tukuafu | East | San Francisco 49ers |
| Stewart Bradley | Highland HS | Denver Broncos |
| Haloti Ngata | Highland HS | Baltimore Ravens |
| Cesar Rayford | Utah Blaze | Dallas Cowboys |
| Locals on practice squads | ||
| Jordan Devey | American Fork HS | New England Patriots |
| Cody Larsen | Jordan/Southern Utah | Baltimore Ravens |
| Harvey Unga | Timpview/BYU | Chicago Bears |
| Kerwynn Williams | Utah State | Indianapolis Colts |
| Matt Reynolds | Timpview/BYU | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Sam Brenner | Utah | Miami Dolphins |
| Al Lapuaho | Granger/Utah State | Miami Dolphins |
| Tevita Finau | Utah | NY Jets |
| Chuck Jacobs | Utah State | San Francisco 49ers |
| Sealver Siliga | Copper Hills/Utah | Seattle Seahawks |
| Tevita Stevens | Utah | Washington Redskins |
