Weber State University Athletics
Four former Wildcats on NFL rosters
9/8/2022 9:45:00 AM | Football
Taron Johnson (Bills), Iosua Opeta (Eagles), Jonah Williams (Rams) and Rashid Shaheed (Saints) are currently on NFL rosters.
As the 2022 NFL season gets underway, Weber State is well represented across the league with four former Wildcats standouts currently on NFL rosters.Â
The former Wildcat with the most NFL experience is Taron Johnson with the Buffalo Bills. Johnson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Bills and enters the 2022 season having played in 55 regular season games and six playoff games in his four seasons in Buffalo. He has started 35 career games entering the 2022 season and has 262 total tackles with 196 solo tackles, as well as four forced fumbles and three interceptions. He has returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a 101-yard return for a TD in Buffalo's playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. Johnson signed a three-year contract extension with the Bills last year.Â
Johnson was an All-American in 2017 and was named the Big Sky Defensive MVP that season in helping the Wildcats to the Big Sky title. He had played in 47 games in his four seasons at Weber State from 2014-17 and is still WSU's all-time leader in pass breakups with 42.Â
Another Wildcat on an active NFL roster is offensive guard Iosua Opeta with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has played in 18 games in the last two seasons with the Eagles and started in four games.Â
Opeta played four seasons at Weber State from 2015-18 and twice earned All-America and first-team All-Big Sky honors. He played in 50 career games with the Wildcats and started every game of his final three seasons on the offensive line. Â
A Wildcat that was on the Super Bowl winning team last season and is part of the 53-man roster this year is Jonah Williams with the Los Angeles Rams. Williams played in eight games during the 2021 season with the Rams and won a Super Bowl ring. He had five total tackles in the eight games during the season.Â
Williams was the Big Sky Defensive MVP and earned All-America honors in 2019. He played in 54 career games at Weber State from 2016-19 and had 15 career sacks and 28 tackles for loss.Â
A new rookie in the NFL this season is four-time All-American Rashid Shaheed, who is a member of the practice squad with the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted after finishing his career last season but was signed as a free agent with the Saints and added to the practice squad. Â
Shaheed is the only player in Weber State history to earn All-America honors four times and is the FCS all-time leader in career kickoff return touchdowns with seven. He is also third in Weber State career history in all-purpose yards and is seventh in career receiving yards.Â
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The former Wildcat with the most NFL experience is Taron Johnson with the Buffalo Bills. Johnson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Bills and enters the 2022 season having played in 55 regular season games and six playoff games in his four seasons in Buffalo. He has started 35 career games entering the 2022 season and has 262 total tackles with 196 solo tackles, as well as four forced fumbles and three interceptions. He has returned two interceptions for touchdowns, including a 101-yard return for a TD in Buffalo's playoff win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. Johnson signed a three-year contract extension with the Bills last year.Â
Johnson was an All-American in 2017 and was named the Big Sky Defensive MVP that season in helping the Wildcats to the Big Sky title. He had played in 47 games in his four seasons at Weber State from 2014-17 and is still WSU's all-time leader in pass breakups with 42.Â
Another Wildcat on an active NFL roster is offensive guard Iosua Opeta with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has played in 18 games in the last two seasons with the Eagles and started in four games.Â
Opeta played four seasons at Weber State from 2015-18 and twice earned All-America and first-team All-Big Sky honors. He played in 50 career games with the Wildcats and started every game of his final three seasons on the offensive line. Â
A Wildcat that was on the Super Bowl winning team last season and is part of the 53-man roster this year is Jonah Williams with the Los Angeles Rams. Williams played in eight games during the 2021 season with the Rams and won a Super Bowl ring. He had five total tackles in the eight games during the season.Â
Williams was the Big Sky Defensive MVP and earned All-America honors in 2019. He played in 54 career games at Weber State from 2016-19 and had 15 career sacks and 28 tackles for loss.Â
A new rookie in the NFL this season is four-time All-American Rashid Shaheed, who is a member of the practice squad with the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted after finishing his career last season but was signed as a free agent with the Saints and added to the practice squad. Â
Shaheed is the only player in Weber State history to earn All-America honors four times and is the FCS all-time leader in career kickoff return touchdowns with seven. He is also third in Weber State career history in all-purpose yards and is seventh in career receiving yards.Â
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Players Mentioned
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