Falcons Preseason Star Jared Bernhardt Makes Roster Out of Camp

From lacrosse star to NFL player, Bernhardt's ride to the active roster has been anything but easy.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

One of the best surprises of Atlanta Falcons training camp is here to stay.

From catching a game-winning touchdown pass in Detroit to his standout three catch, 67-yard performance against the New York Jets, the preseason was a whirlwind for Falcons undrafted rookie receiver Jared Bernhardt.

The chaotic sequence was, however, enough to get him on the Falcons' 53-man roster out of training camp. Proving to form a strong connection with rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder, Bernhardt's path to the active roster has been far from straightforward.

Bernhardt starred on both the football and lacrosse fields in high school, but ultimately chose to follow in the footsteps of his two brothers and trade the pigskin for a stick, attending national lacrosse powerhouse Maryland.

Before graduating high school, he was the U-19 World Championships MVP and earned All-World team honors. He arrived at Maryland as the No. 3 overall recruit in his class and a day-one starter on a team that proceeded to win the National Championship.

Fast forward to his fifth collegiate season, and Bernhardt turned in one of the greatest campaigns in college lacrosse history. He finished his time with the Terrapins as the record-holder in several key categories, include all-time and single-season points and goals.

But still, Bernhardt wasn't totally satisfied with his college experience. Still holding a year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he opted to resume his football career, transferring to Division II Ferris State.

Bernhardt won the competition for the starting job ... at quarterback. Despite not playing competitive football since 2016, he immediately produced, racking up over 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air while rushing for over 1,400 yards and 26 touchdowns.

He won Conference Player of the Year honors and led Ferris State to an undefeated season, capping it off with the program's first-ever National Championship.

Despite winning championships and player of the year awards in two sports, Bernhardt went undrafted this April, though The Athletic's draft expert, Dane Brugler, revealed that several scouts thought the Florida native would be drafted prior to running a 4.70 40-yard dash.

The winding road from lacrosse superstar to Division II National Champion ultimately led Bernhardt to Atlanta, where he instantly impressed Falcons coach Arthur Smith and evidently continued to do so throughout the preseason.

"He can play in space. Leverage. Spatial awareness," Smith named when discussing Bernhardt's top traits. "I love his competitiveness, but he has a lot of work to do."

Bernhardt never was going to be a finished product at receiver this early in his professional career. That being said, Smith has been blown away by the pace with which Bernhardt has gotten up to speed and sees upside in the 24-year-old.

“I’ll say it’s been pretty eye-opening to see how quickly he’s made the transition,” said Smith. "I’ll give him credit there. The other night (against the Lions), you can see his spatial awareness as he went to box a guy up to get to the top of the route. So, I’m excited to keep working with him.”

Bernhardt's game-winning touchdown against the Lions was largely just a synopsis of what he's been doing throughout Atlanta's offseason program. He carried that strong form over to New Jersey, beating No. 4 overall pick Sauce Gardner for a touchdown in a joint practice before having his most productive exhibition game to date.

Bernhardt could almost certainly be starring in professional lacrosse if he wanted to. Instead, he bet on himself, spending this offseason putting his all into living out a dream as an NFL player.

In the end, he scratched, clawed and competed his way onto the active roster, but the journey is truly just beginning.

Bernhardt's first regular season game takes place on Sept. 11 against the New Orleans Saints.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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