Tech Alumnus Signs Pro Football Contract

Former Arkansas Tech student-athlete Jeremy Ashcraft has signed a contract to play for the Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League during the 2011 season.

Ashcraft (photographed), a 6-foot-7, 335-pound offensive lineman, joins the Blaze after playing for the AFL’s Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz the past two seasons.

“Ashcraft will be a great addition to our offensive line with his size,” said Blaze head coach Ron James in a news release issued on Tuesday, Dec. 14. “He knows the game of Arena Football and his presence will raise the bar during training camp.”

A native of Marshall, Texas, Ashcraft earned two letters as a member of the football program at Arkansas Tech. He was named to the Gulf South Conference All-Decade team for the 10-year span ending in spring 2010.

Ashcraft earned All-GSC honors and was named All-Super Region 2 in both 2007 and 2008. He recorded 105 knockdown blocks in 20 games as a Wonder Boy.

Arkansas Tech’s offensive line allowed just 19 quarterback sacks during Ashcraft’s two seasons in the green and gold.

Ashcraft continued to open scouts’ eyes after his senior season in a pair of all-star games — the East Coast Bowl and the Valero Cactus Bowl. He was named the outstanding offensive lineman in the 2009 Valero Cactus Bowl.

Now he joins the Utah Blaze, which is entering its fifth season as a member of the Arena Football League. The team is located in West Valley City, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City.

The Blaze will open its 2011 season by hosting Tampa Bay on March 19.

Click here to learn more about the Utah Blaze.

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