University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Lobato, Davis sign NFL contracts as undrafted free agents
5/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By PARKER COTTON
UNCBears.com
GREELEY – Draft day in the National Football League may have ended, but that does not mean the phones stop ringing.
On the receiving ends of those calls late Saturday were former Northern Colorado wide receiver Jace Davis and quarterback Seth Lobato, as both players reached agreements with professional teams near the end of the day. Davis signed a contract with the Baltimore Ravens, according to several sources, and Lobato reached an agreement with the Indianapolis Colts, as reported by the team's website.
As of Sunday afternoon, Davis could not be reached as he was likely en route to his new destination. Lobato arrived at his Indianapolis hotel around 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time after a whirlwind of almost 18 hours.
"Late in the draft I got some phone calls. I got some calls before the draft and talked to a number of different teams throughout the draft," he said. "My phone heated up in the sixth and seventh rounds, and not five minutes after the draft I knew I was going to be an Indianapolis Colt."
Even though he has arrived, Lobato said he is still in a state of shock and that he'll be introduced to the Colts' staff and playbook on Monday.
"All that stuff starts in the morning with some early-morning meetings. Right now it's just getting acclimated and relaxing," he said. "It's still a surreal feeling right now. I can't wait to get to the complex and meet the coaches and players and get after it."
Lobato signed a deal as an undrafted free agent which allows him to come to team mini-camps and potentially training camp.
"Ultimately, I'm just trying to make the 53-man roster," Lobato said.
Northern Colorado head coach Earnest Collins Jr. said on Sunday he was very excited about the opportunity that has presented itself to both players.
"I've talked to both of them, giving them a congratulatory call," Collins said. "They're both excited for their futures, and I think they'll represent themselves and the university well. I knew they both would get a shot because when you've been in this business as long as I have, you hear things and you get calls from certain people. We had more than 20 teams here this fall to meet and scout those two guys, so it wasn't really a surprise, and they both had solid pro days up at Colorado State."
Lobato also said he has had some communication with Davis since they both signed, saying he too was excited for the wide receiver.
"I've shot him a few texts, and he's reached out to me too," he said. "I'm sure it's been crazy on his end, as it has been on mine. But I just wanted to show my support. I told him I'm proud of him, and congratulations, and the real work starts when camp begins."
Collins went on to say he believes both players have the opportunity to stick around in the league as long as they continue to grow.
"I really think it's about them being able to grasp a pro-style offense, which they had here," Collins said. "Now it's just about doing the little things. Jace will have to prove he can be effective on special teams and work his way on the team, and Seth will have to show he can control the offense and do everything else he has to. In terms of knowledge of the game and athletic ability, I have no doubts about either of them as they move on."
Davis played in eight games his senior season and finished with 44 catches for 673 yards and five touchdowns. Davis' best season as a Bear arguably came in 2010 when he finished eight yards shy of 1,000 on the season. He also had 53 receptions, seven touchdowns and became just the second offensive player in school history to be named to the Big Sky Conference First Team (Ryan Chesla in 2007-08).
Lobato was a three-year starter for the Bears and leaves Northern Colorado as one of the more prolific passers in program history, as he holds the school's Division I records for touchdowns (53), passing yards (8,090) and total offense (8,098). He also owns the school's Division I single-season records in all three categories. In the school's all-time record books, he is second in passing yards and total offense to only Corte McGuffey, and Lobato owns three of the top four single-game passing yardage totals.
"Any time you have one or two of your own move on, everybody is going to be excited," Collins said. "(Younger players) see it as a chance to make it. You get texts from guys and they're excited. It's a pretty cool deal, and it's exciting for our program."
Collins said he did not have any parting wisdom for his two players, but only because he has faith in their abilities.
"They get it now. They've been prepping for this for four five months," Collins said. "Now it's all about taking advantage of the opportunity they both have, which is making a living at the next level. Only one or two percent of college football players get that chance. Athletically and mentally, they can get it, absolutely."
Both players certainly have a long road ahead of them, but it's never too early to look forward to what might be. The important date to circle is October 5, the Week 5 match-up when the Colts host the Ravens.
