Are Any ‘Last Chance U’ Players in the NFL?
Players like Dakota Allen not only found their redemption on Last Chance U, but they became global icons in the process.
From bounceback players like Allen or Malik Henry to those who just needed junior college as a chance to prove themselves, Last Chance U fully captured their actions for five seasons.
Last Chance U recently ran its final season dedicated to football. Have any of those former Netflix stars become NFL players, and were any on Week 1 rosters?
‘Last Chance U’ ran for five seasons on Netflix
Originally featuring junior college powerhouse East Mississippi Community College, Last Chance U thrilled football fans from 2016-20.
The show spent two years at EMCC, a popular stop for players who had off-field issues elsewhere. Take former Florida State quarterback De’Andre Johnson and Louisville defensive end Tim Bonner, each of whom played for EMCC in 2016, a year after their previous schools dismissed them.
Johnson lost his spot after an altercation involving a woman; he later publicly apologized. Bonner allegedly had a firearm in his dorm room.
Both signed with the Florida Atlantic Owls after they finished at EMCC. Dakota Allen, who was expelled from Texas Tech after a burglary charge, rejoined the Red Raiders in 2017 following his junior college stint.
Not all Last Chance U players had off-field problems. Two former Florida State quarterbacks, John Franklin III and Malik Henry, transferred to EMCC and Independence, respectively, for playing time.
Many players, including quarterback Wyatt Roberts, signed with the junior colleges to earn a spot at a higher level. This was especially true in season 5 with Laney College.
Numerous players have earned NFL opportunities
If Last Chance U brought its cameras to the NFL, fans would be excited to see just how some players have turned out.
The Los Angeles Rams drafted Dakota Allen in the final round of the 2019 NFL draft. Allen was the 251st overall pick in a draft where 253 players were taken.
Allen had one total tackle across five games with the Raiders and Jaguars last year.
Although John Franklin III went undrafted in 2018, he debuted with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year. Franklin moved from receiveer to cornerback in the NFL, but returned to receiver for Tampa’s Week 17 loss to Atlanta.
Are any ‘Last Chance U’ players on NFL teams?
Last Chance U fans may feel nostalgic watching NFL games this fall.
One of the most popular players who appeared on Last Chance U made an NFL roster this fall. Ex-EMCC linebacker Dakota Allen is a reserve linebacker on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
All of Allen’s snaps came on special teams, which will likely remain his home for now.
Allen isn’t the only ex-EMCC standout on a 53-man roster. Baltimore drafted Tyre Phillips, a former EMCC lineman who spent 2017-19 at Mississippi State, in the third round of April’s draft. The Ravens listed Phillips as the backup at both tackle spots and right guard.
Phillips reunited with his former EMCC teammate, linebacker Chauncey Rivers, earlier this year. Rivers made Baltimore’s practice squad as an undrafted free agent.
Yet another EMCC player, safety Brian Cole II, is on Miami’s practice squad.
Delrick Abrams, who played at Independence Community College and appeared in season three, is a defensive back on Atlanta’s practice squad. Abrams had 89 tackles and 15 pass breakups in two seasons at Colorado.
John Franklin III, still with the Buccaneers, is on injured reserve. Franklin will miss 2020 season with a left leg injury.
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