FOOTBALL - Congratulations to Corey Kiner '21 and James Thompson Jr. '20 on making the NFL's 53-man roster!

Kiner was traded from the Arizona Cardinals to the New England Patriots and made their 53-man roster as a running back, while Thompson Jr. signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent and made their 53-man roster on the defensive line.

Kiner, the 2020 Mr. Ohio Football and University of Cincinnati graduate, signed with the 49ers last season as an undrafted rookie free agent. He then signed to the Minnesota Vikings practice squad before being elevated to the main roster. He then signed to the Arizona Cardinals last season and appeared in four games, rushing for 58 yards on 12 carries. In college at LSU (2021) and Cincinnati (2022–2024), Kiner rushed for 2,562 yards and scored 16 TDs while averaging 64 yards per game.

Thompson Jr., who played college football at Wisconsin (2020–2024) and Illinois (2025), appeared in 54 games over his college career and recorded 100 combined tackles, including 15 for loss, and seven sacks. In 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025, Thompson Jr. appeared in every game.

What an incredible accomplishment for two of our own. Your hard work, determination, and commitment have taken you to the highest level of the game and we couldn’t be prouder to call you Spartans.

The Spartans will be cheering you on every step of the way.

Once a Spartan, always a Spartan.