Rookie wide receivers Raymond Radway and Edmond “Clyde” Gates each caught a 6-yard TD pass in the third quarter of their first NFL exhibition season game this past weekend. Radway made a diving catch in the end zone with a ball thrown by Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Stephen McGee, helping the Cowboys to a 24-23 comeback win Saturday night over the Denver Broncos in Cowboys Stadium. Radway also averaged 31 yards on two kickoff returns.
Gates caught a scoring pass from Matt Moore to help the Miami Dolphins beat the Atlanta Falcons, 28-23, in a Friday night game in the Georgia Dome. He also returned two kickoffs, a punt, and caught two passes for 23 yards.
The pair are two of four former Wildcats in their first seasons of major professional football in 2011. In addition, offensive lineman Trevis Turner is a rookie for the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and offensive lineman Tony Washington was recently signed by the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders.
Washington quickly earned a starting role for Calgary, which is 5-2 and tied for the lead in the CFL’s West Division. Because of Canada’s cold weather climate, the CFL regular season begins in July and ends in late November with the Grey Cup, its version of the NFL Super Bowl.
Other Wildcats in the NFL are Chicago Bears’ wide receiver Johnny Knox, Cincinnati Bengals running back Bernard Scott and Houston Texans’ defensive back Danieal Manning, who recently signed a $20 million, four-year contract as a free agent. Manning previously starred for the Bears.
Radway, Gates, Knox, Scott and Manning also return kicks for their respective teams.
Manning makes his first appearance in a Texans’ uniform tonight when Houston hosts the New York Jets in a game televised on ESPN. Kickoff is 7 p.m. CST.