Holy Cross Professional Athletes

Holy Cross doesn't produce NFL stars at the rate of an Alabama or Ohio State, but Kalif Raymond is making sure the Crusaders stay on the map — and Monday Night Football gave him the stage to do it.

Raymond, the veteran wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, turned a simple screen pass into a 39-yard gain against the Seattle Seahawks on November 3, a burst that set up a short touchdown run for D'Andre Swift in what became a commanding 34-17 Bears victory. It was the kind of play that doesn't always show up in the box score with a flashy line — Raymond finished with two receptions for 14 receiving yards in addition to that 39-yard rush — but it was the decisive moment of a scoring drive that helped Chicago pull away.

Raymond, who played his college ball in Worcester before carving out a long NFL career as a gadget threat and return specialist, is a perfect fit for the role the Bears are asking him to play. At 29, he's not being asked to be a No. 1 receiver. He's being asked to be a matchup problem in space, and the Seahawks had no answer for him Monday night.

The play itself was textbook mismatch exploitation: linebacker or safety in coverage, Raymond in the open field, and yards after the catch doing the rest. Setting up a Swift touchdown makes it all the sweeter — the Bears' offense looked sharp, and Raymond's chunk gain was the linchpin.

The Bigger Picture

Raymond is one of several Holy Cross alumni currently on NFL rosters, a list that includes linebacker Benton Whitley (Patriots), wide receiver Jalen Coker (Panthers), wide receiver Ayir Asante (Giants), guard C.J. Hanson (Chiefs), guard Luke Newman (Bears), and linebacker Liam Anderson (Dolphins). Newman and Raymond are teammates in Chicago, giving the Crusaders a two-man contingent on one of the NFC's more intriguing teams this season.

But this week belonged to Raymond. For a school that plays at the FCS level and doesn't recruit with the resources of Power Four programs, seeing a Holy Cross product make a difference on primetime television is exactly the kind of moment that fuels recruiting pitches and alumni pride alike.

The Bears improve to what's shaping up as a strong November record, and Raymond's fingerprints are on one of the week's cleaner wins. Crusader fans in Worcester had reason to stay up late Monday night.

Holy Cross in the NFL | Week of Oct. 25–31, 2026

It was a rough week overall for Holy Cross alumni in the NFL, but Jalen Coker made sure the Crusaders had at least one moment worth rewinding.

A Fourth-Down Grab That Changed the Game's Conversation

Coker had been a near-invisible presence early in Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field — quiet enough that questions circulated during the game about why Carolina's offense couldn't get him involved. Then the fourth quarter arrived, and so did the Holy Cross product.

With the Panthers trailing by 14, Coker hauled in a catch-and-run on fourth down and took it to the end zone, cutting the deficit to eight and suddenly making the game watchable again. The touchdown, however, quickly became secondary to what followed: Carolina head coach Dave Canales opted to go for two rather than kick the extra point, a decision that immediately ignited debate across football circles.

The logic, while unconventional to many, follows an emerging school of game-theory thinking — converting two makes it a one-score game, giving the Panthers the ability to tie on a single touchdown rather than needing two scores if they kicked and missed. It's a defensible call on paper, but on a national stage against Green Bay, it drew the kind of scrutiny that only prime-time football can generate. The Panthers ultimately lost 27–19, meaning the gambit didn't pay off, but Coker's catch is what put Carolina in the position to make the call at all.

The touchdown was Coker's first of the week after a genuinely dismal Sunday. In a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a 43–13 drubbing — Coker managed just one reception for nine yards as the entire Carolina offense struggled to gain footing against a Bucs defense energized by Baker Mayfield's return. For the week, Coker finished with two catches, 45 yards, and the one score that briefly made things interesting on Thursday.

The trajectory remains worth watching. Coker broke out earlier this season and established himself as a legitimate option in Carolina's passing game, but the recent stretch has been inconsistent. When he's on, the Holy Cross connection to the Panthers' offense is a genuine asset. When the target share dries up — as it did through most of both games this week — he's largely a bystander.

The Rest of the Crusader Corps

Beyond Coker, it was a quiet week for Holy Cross alumni across the league. Liam Anderson (Dolphins, LB), Ayir Asante (Giants, WR), C.J. Hanson (Chiefs, G), Luke Newman (Bears, G), Kalif Raymond (Bears, WR), and Benton Whitley (Patriots, LB) did not generate notable coverage during the period.

The Coker storyline remains the headline for Holy Cross NFL watchers — and as long as he's making fourth-down catches on Thursday Night Football, it will stay that way.

Holy Cross had a week worth celebrating in the NFL, headlined by a vintage Jalen Coker performance that helped Carolina turn heads across the league.

Coker Silences Doubts in Philly

Coming off an injury that had quieted his early-season momentum, Coker made his return count in a big way. The Holy Cross product caught 6 passes for 97 yards as the Panthers dismantled the Eagles 25-14 in Philadelphia — a win that announced Carolina as a legitimate NFC contender. Coker was active all afternoon, giving Bryce Young a reliable secondary option alongside Tetairoa McMillan and drawing widespread praise after the final whistle. With the Eagles' secondary intent on blanketing McMillan, Coker's ability to exploit coverage was a difference-maker.

The performance has also sparked a legitimate fantasy football debate: with both Coker and McMillan producing at a high level, Panthers pass-catchers are becoming one of the more compelling stacks in the game. For Holy Cross fans, the bigger picture is simpler — their guy is healthy, productive, and thriving on a team that looks NFC-ready.

Raymond Contributes in Chicago

Across the league, Kalif Raymond continued to carve out his role with the Bears. The veteran receiver pulled in 2 receptions for 18 yards in Chicago's 31-23 win over the Falcons on October 18, adding to a quietly consistent stretch for the Holy Cross alum. Raymond also dressed for Chicago's Thursday night game against New England on October 22, a 30-24 Bears win, as the team has leaned on his experience as a complement to their younger pass-catching options.

Whitley Elevated for Patriots

Benton Whitley got a shot to show what he can do at the NFL level. The linebacker was elevated from New England's practice squad for the Patriots' Thursday night game at Soldier Field, then reverted back following the contest. It's the kind of opportunity that keeps a player's development moving — and keeps the door open for a larger role down the road.

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For a program the size of Holy Cross, having three alumni active on NFL rosters in the same week — with one of them delivering a marquee performance on a nationally watched stage — is a genuine milestone. Coker, in particular, is doing more than surviving in the league; he's becoming a name that defensive coordinators have to account for. Panthers fans already knew what he could do. The rest of the NFL is catching up.