Recent Troy graduates and football standouts Kimani Vidal, Javon Solomon and Dell Pettus represented the school well in limited action during their rookie seasons in the National Football League.
Vidal and Solomon got their first taste of playoff football, as the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills both played first-round games. The Bills moved on while the Chargers were knocked out by the Houston Texans.
Vidal, who was selected in the sixth round of last year’s NFL Draft, logged 43 carries for 155 yards as an auxiliary running back for the Los Angeles Chargers behind J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Vidal saw action in nine of the Chargers’ 17 contests with his most notable performance coming against the Denver Broncos. Vidal scampered in for a 38-yard touchdown catch and helped secure a 23-16 divisional victory.
Vidal could be in line for a much bigger role next season in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offense with J.K. Dobbins set to hit free agency this offseason.
Solomon, a Bills fifth-round selection, appeared in fourteen contests with a respectable two sacks, three tackles for loss and 13 tackles.
Solomon had a career-high eight tackles and a fumble recovery in the Bills last regular season contest against the New England Patriots.
Solomon did not see action during the Bills first playoff victory against the Broncos but will remain available if needed during the rest of their campaign.
Pettus -- who signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent -- saw action in every regular season game this year as a special teamer with an increased role as a defensive back near the tail end of the season. He finished his rookie season with 34 total tackles, a sack and two pass breakups during his stints in the safety position.
The Patriots could look to increase Pettus’ snap count next season with the impending departure of Jaylinn Hawkins, a seven-year veteran who started seven games this season but saw a continuous decline in snaps throughout the season.
Additionally, injuries and legal troubles have cast doubts on the future of starting strong safety, captain and former first-round pick Jabrill Peppers. Pettus could be thrust into a much larger role in the Patriots secondary sooner than previously anticipated.
Jake Andrews, who was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2023, had his sophomore season cut short as he hit the injured list with a knee injury that kept him off the field all season.
Andrews is expected to compete for the starting center position for the Patriots in 2025 against current starter Cole Strange, who missed the first 14 games of this past season due to a major knee injury.
The future of Troy football in the NFL is bright and all four active players have a shot of making a splash in their second seasons in the pros.
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