NFL Draft

Small-Schooler Players Shine in USFL Week 6

Small-school products stood out in the sixth week of the USFL season.

Ralph Ventre

Small-Schooler Players Shine in USFL Week 6
Small-Schooler Players Shine in USFL Week 6 /

They aren’t household names from blue-blood college programs, but they are finding success in the United States Football League.

Plenty of small-school players are making their marks in the relaunched USFL.

In particular, Week 6 was a good one for USFL playmakers from non-Division I schools.

Former Division II quarterback Luis Perez (Texas A&M-Commerce) stepped in mid-game for an injured De’Andre Johnson and steered the New Jersey Generals to victory in a Week 6 battle with the Houston Gamblers. Former D2 cornerback De’Vante Bausby (Pittsburg State) also made a number of key plays in the Generals’ 26-25 win.

Meanwhile, former Division III defensive back Amani Dennis (Carthage College) had himself a day in the Philadelphia Stars’ 35-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Bandits.

The transaction wire also featured Division II product, former Slippery Rock signal-caller Roland Rivers III, signing with the Pittsburgh Maulers.

Rivers, a Division II All-American, threw for 4,460 yards and 52 touchdowns in 14 games as a SRU senior. The 2019 Harlin Hill Trophy winner is an alumnus of the HUB Football Camp – a free-agent showcase launched by agent Don Yee.

QB Luis Perez, New Jersey Generals (Texas A&M-Commerce)

Perez brings plenty of experience and moxie to the table. The 2017 Harlin Hill Trophy winner, who threw for over 5,000 yards in his final collegiate campaign, spent the 2018 NFL preseason with the Los Angeles Rams before finding a starting job with the Birmingham Iron during the short-lived 2019 AAF season.

Perez was the Generals’ opening-day starter, throwing for two touchdowns against the Birmingham Stallions, but he eventually yielded the majority of his snaps to dual-threat De’Andre Johnson. With Johnson limping off during the second quarter in Week 6, Perez proceeded to go 18-of-24 passing for 159 yards and one touchdown. He engineered a 15-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a QB keeper for the game-winning touchdown on the final snap of the day.

CB Amani Dennis, Philadelphia Stars (Carthage College)

The former Division III player was the defensive difference-maker in the Philadelphia Stars’ Week 6 win. Dennis, who attended college in Kenosha, Wis., totaled eight tackles and three passes defended during a 35-28 triumph over the Tampa Bay Bandits.

The Philadelphia Stars’ cornerback intercepted quarterback Jordan Ta’amu and returned the ball to the 10-yard line to set up the game’s first touchdown. Dennis played four seasons (2015-18) at Carthage, twice earning All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors.

CB De’Vante Bausby, New Jersey Generals (Pittsburg State)

The 2014 Division II All-American has spent time with seven different NFL clubs. Bausby, who hails from the same alma mater as former NFL receiver John Brown, has landed on the USFL’s top-ranked defense.

The veteran cornerback put forth a noteworthy performance in New Jersey’s 26-25 win over Houston. Bausby made three solo tackles and an interception to help the Generals extend their win streak to five games. He picked off a deep ball from Houston quarterback Clayton Thorson at the New Jersey 22-yard line early in the second quarter.

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Ralph Ventre
RALPH VENTRE

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