Troy Professional Athletes

For one Sunday in the NFL, Troy had a real presence in Dallas — and it wasn't just a cameo.

The Cowboys elevated defensive backs Reddy Steward and Juanyeh Thomas from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of their Week 4 matchup against the Houston Texans, putting two Troy alumni on an NFL field simultaneously. It's the kind of moment that doesn't get a lot of national fanfare, but for a mid-size program in Troy, Alabama, it's a genuine marker of the school's growing pipeline to the pros.

Steward, a cornerback, has been working his way through Dallas' defensive back depth chart since entering the league. His elevation alongside Thomas — also a DB — speaks to the Cowboys leaning on a pair of Trojans to help shore up their secondary, particularly notable given the injury context around the roster move. The Cowboys were also managing the status of Joey Porter Jr., adding further urgency to the call-ups.

Dallas fell to Baltimore 31–34 in their previous outing, so the defense had plenty of motivation heading into the Texans matchup. Whether Steward and Thomas carved out significant snap counts remains to be seen from the box score, but the opportunity itself is the headline.

Meanwhile, in the Chargers Backfield

Out west, Kimani Vidal continued to make the most of his carries for the Los Angeles Chargers. Against the Bills in a 16–24 loss, the Troy-bred running back picked up 6 rushing yards and added 14 receiving yards on a reception — a modest-but-real contribution from a back fighting for touches in a crowded backfield.

Vidal's ability to contribute as a receiver out of the backfield has been a consistent part of his NFL case, and Sunday was another data point in that argument.

The Bigger Picture

Troy doesn't always make the headlines when college football's recruiting rankings are published, but the NFL tells a different story. Between Steward and Thomas suiting up together in Dallas and Vidal logging snaps on the West Coast, the Trojans had alumni active on multiple NFL rosters in the same weekend window — a quiet but meaningful testament to what the program has been producing.

For Troy fans tracking their guys at the next level, this was a weekend worth noting.

Troy's Pettus Lands on IR, Leaving Patriots Short at Safety

Dell Pettus's run of durability is over — at least for now.

The Troy alumnus and third-year New England Patriots safety was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after suffering an ankle injury in the team's Week 2 win, ending a streak of 36 consecutive regular-season games. Per NFL rules, the IR designation sidelines Pettus for a minimum of four games, a significant blow to a Patriots secondary already navigating thin depth.

Coach Mike Vrabel confirmed the move, and New England wasted little time addressing the roster hole — promoting edge rusher Jose Ramirez to the 53-man roster to fill the vacated spot. The team also hosted two safeties on tryouts as the front office canvassed the free-agent market for reinforcements, signaling that the void left by Pettus won't be easily papered over. Practice-squad safeties are expected to see elevated roles in the interim alongside fellow injured starter Craig Woodson, who is also sidelined.

The 36-game streak put Pettus in rare company for a third-year player and spoke to both his reliability and his rising standing within New England's defense. His absence leaves the Patriots reshuffling one of the NFL's most scheme-sensitive positions heading into the heart of the regular season.

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Elsewhere across Troy's NFL contingent, Kimani Vidal and the Los Angeles Chargers dropped their Week 2 contest to the Las Vegas Raiders, 26–14. Vidal, a running back in his second season, is one of the more closely watched Troy products in the league as he looks to carve out a larger role in LA's backfield.

The rest of Troy's roster of NFL alumni — including Marcus Jones (Patriots, CB), Tez Johnson (Buccaneers, WR), Javon Solomon (Bills, LB), Caleb Ransaw (Jaguars, S), Jake Andrews (Texans, C), Landon Parker (Colts, LB), Reddy Steward (Cowboys, DB), Shakel Brown (49ers, LB), and Matthew Caldwell (Rams, QB) — did not generate notable statistical or roster news during the week.

The Pettus injury is the defining Troy storyline of the period: a model of consistency sidelined at an inopportune moment, and a reminder of how quickly a defensive backfield's calculus can shift. Trojan fans will be tracking his recovery closely as the Patriots look to hold things together without him.