April 28, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two NAIA football players signed National Football League (NFL) contracts recently. Saint Xavier (Ill.) University's Shane Longest signs with the Chicago Bears and Lindenwood (Mo.) University's Brian Schaefering inks with the Cleveland Browns.

There were no NAIA football players taken in the NFL Draft over the weekend.

Longest, a placekicker from Wilmington, Ill. was picked up as a free agent by the Chicago Bears as the 2008 NFL Draft wrapped up its final picks of the seventh and final round late Sunday afternoon (April 27).  Longest will officially sign a contract with the Bears later this week and will report to mini-camp in the near future.  Details of the contract have not been disclosed.

"I am very excited to get signed by the Chicago Bears, especially considering the fact that I get to stay close to home," said Longest.  "It has been a fun experience with the (NFL) Combine and now the (NFL) Draft, but I'm really looking forward to getting into a camp this summer and showing what I can do."

Longest had a monster senior season with the Cougars last fall helping lead the team to the quarterfinals of the 2007 NAIA Championship Series.  He handled all kicking duties (field goals, punting, and kickoffs) for the team in 2007 and excelled in every facet.  Longest led the entire NAIA with 27 field goals made, which set an NAIA national single-season record. He was also the NAIA's third best punter with a 43.2 yards per punt average.  In December 2007, he was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)-NAIA Coaches' All-America Team and was one of just three specialists to make the team.

Schaefering played one season for Lindenwood after transferring from Illinois. He was a 2007 All-Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) First-Team selection and an honorable mention All-American pick by the Victory Sports Network.

He led the team with 6.5 sacks and was tied for second in the HAAC and 19th in the NAIA with 0.70 sacks a game. He also recorded 19 solo tackles, 18 assisted tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

Schaefering helped the squad to a 10-2 record, including a 10-0 mark in games he played in. The Lions went 9-1 in conference play and won the HAAC Championship, their second in school history, and advanced to the NAIA Championship Series for the third time in school history. Schaefering helped the Lindenwood defense hold the opposition under 20 points in seven of the ten games that he played in.

Cleveland and Schaefering hope to continue a trend of success for former players of Lindenwood head coach Pat Ross. DeDe Dorsey won a Super Bowl ring for the 2007 Indianapolis Colts, and Derrick Ward was a member of the 2008 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

NOTE: Information courtesy of Saint Xavier and Lindenwood Sports Information Departments.