REILLY, BRONSON SIGN NFL FREE-AGENT CONTRACTS
Former Wildcats Go Undrafted, Then Sign with Steelers, Dolphins

ELLENSBURG (Apr. 26) -- After going undrafted in the two days of the 2009 National Football League Draft, former Central Washington football players Mike Reilly and Jared Bronson both signed free-agent contracts with NFL teams on Sunday night. Reilly signed with the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, while Bronson signed with the Miami Dolphins.

Reilly, the Wildcats' record-setting quarterback who finished as the co-runner-up for the 2008 Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in Division II football, signed with Pittsburgh just minutes after the conclusion of the NFL Draft on Sunday afternoon. Details of his contract are not yet available.

The Steelers were one of four teams in contact with Reilly over the final 15-20 minutes of Sunday's draft. After weighing his options, he decided to sign with the Steelers, who currently list three other quarterbacks -- Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, and Dennis Dixon -- on their roster.

"I decided on the Steelers based on their depth chart at quarterback, and their organization's history with quarterbacks," Reilly said. "They have been very selective with their selection of quarterbacks in the past, and their coaching staff (namely quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson) has a lot of integrity. Coach (Anderson) and the Steelers were ecstatic about the opportunity to have me join their organization."

According to Reilly, the Steelers had only signed four new players to free-agent contracts as of Sunday evening, compared to some teams that had already inked in the vicinity of 10 players as free agents.

Bronson, meanwhile, signed with the Dolphins, also on Sunday evening.

"It was a little disappointing not to get drafted," Bronson said, "but things just didn't work out (to be drafted). I got several calls shortly after the draft ended, and Miami seemed like a good fit for me."

Like Reilly, Bronson will join a roster with several players at the same position. The Dolphins currently have three tight ends with NFL experience (Anthony Fasano, Joey Hanos, and David Martin) and they drafted another (John Nalbone of Monmouth University in the fifth round). Bronson knows he will have to go out and compete for a roster spot.

"I am in the same position (signing as a free agent) as I would have been if I was drafted," Bronson explained. "I still have to go out and keep working hard and compete for a position on (the Dolphins') roster."

Only one former Central Washington player -- quarterback Jon Kitna of the Dallas Cowboys -- is currently in the National Football League. Several other recent Wildcats have signed as NFL free agents, including most recently punter Joe Smith with the New York Jets last summer, but Kitna is the only one to have appeared in an NFL regular-season game in the past 15 years.