Ryan O’Malley, a tight end who completed his senior season with Penn football last fall, was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent Saturday.
After going unselected in the seven rounds of the NFL draft, the New Jersey native agreed to an undisclosed contract with the AFC West team. With his NFL-quality size (6’6”, 265), O’Malley figures to be in the mix for a roster spot during training camp this summer.
During his four seasons at Penn, O’Malley collected 43 catches for 496 yards and nine touchdowns. He was named second-team all-Ivy after the 2014 and 2015 seasons, and bookended his career with conference championships during his freshman and senior years.
In Oakland, he will join an up-and-coming squad that finished 7-9 a season ago – an improvement on 3-13 in 2014. His offensive teammates will include QB Derek Carr and WR Amari Cooper, both 2015 Pro Bowlers.
Two Ivy leaguers were selected in this year’s draft – Princeton TE Seth DeValve (4th round, Cleveland Browns) and Harvard OL Cole Toner (5th round, Arizona Cardinals).
Harvard also had four other players sign as undrafted free agents – TE Ben Braunecker (Chicago Bears), QB Scott Hosch (Detroit Lions), OL Anthony Fabiano (Baltimore Ravens) and OL Adam Redmond (Indianapolis Colts).
O’Malley will be the second Penn alum active in the NFL. Linebacker Brandon Copeland, a 2013 Quaker graduate, plays for the Detroit Lions and made his professional debut last fall.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.