Army senior back Noah Short has signed a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after not being selected through the seven rounds of the NFL Draft which concluded Saturday.
Inside linebacker Andon Thomas has received an invitation to attend free agent rookie mini camp with the Baltimore Ravens.
Short has received a lot of attention for his versatility and ability as a dual threat, both as a receiver and running back. He is the first Army player to amass over 1,000 rushing yards (1,148) and 1,000 receiving yards (1,008), producing 10 touchdowns.
As a senior, he posted 571 rushing yards and 438 receiving yards, his 32 catches a single-season mark and 67 career grabs the most during head coach Jeff Monken’s tenure (2014-present).
Short will be best remembered for a punt block that was recovered for a touchdown during the 2022 Army-Navy game.
Thomas, a co-captain this past season, started all 13 games at linebacker. He led Army in solo tackles (66) and overall tackles (113), with five going for lost yardage. He finished his career with 211 total tackles, and had 27 career starts. He was named second team All-American Conference, a year after being selected to the third team.
Thomas is recognized for his academic prowess as well, earning finalist honors for the William V. Campbell Trophy, well-known as the “Academic Heisman.”
Long denied an opportunity to join the NFL ranks due to military commitments following graduation, Army graduates have been allowed to sign pro contracts in recent years. The current cast of ex-Black Knights in the NFL include Andre Carter II (Commanders); Brett Toth (Niners), Cole Christiansen (Chiefs), Jimmy Ciarlo (Bills) and Lucas Scott (Ravens).
Short and Thomas joined teammate and safety Collin Matteson for Army’s Pro Day on March 12 at West Point. Six NFL teams – Cardinals, Ravens, Bills, Raiders, Giants and Commanders – were on hand for the NFL testing. During the showcase, Short ran 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash, ranking among the best wide receiver candidates during the NFL Combine. Thomas, too, also showed out well, running a 4.11 in the 20-yard shuttle, again among the best linebackers who participated in the NFL Combine.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
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This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army football – Short signed by Bucs, Thomas gets Ravens’ invite
Reporting by Ken McMillan, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
