Two more former Georgia Tech football players have invitations to NFL rookie mini-camps. Defensive tackle Kyle Cerge-Henderson will attend the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie mini-camp and wide receiver Brad Stewart will have a tryout with the San Francisco 49ers at their rookie mini-camp. Both confirmed their invitations Monday.
“At this point, all I asked for was a shot,” Cerge-Henderson said. “All I asked for was a foot in the door, so I’ve just got to make the best of it.”
Cerge-Henderson started 20 games in his Tech career, including 10 this season. He had 27 tackles this past season, which was most among nose tackles on the team.
Waiting to learn if and where he would get a chance to continue his career did not make for a fun few days, as the NFL draft ended Saturday and most undrafted free-agent deals were done by late Saturday evening.
“This is definitely the most stressful weekend that I’ve ever had,” he said. “This weekend was more stressful than when my daughter was born.”
Cerge-Henderson took part in a local pro day with the Buccaneers during the pre-draft season in mid-April, and also one with the Falcons and did well at both, he said.
“I was just banking on at least one of them giving me an invite earlier, but better later than never,” he said.
Stewart started 42 games in his career, including the final 40 in a row. He caught a career-high 15 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. He proved himself as a sure-handed target, a willing blocker in the run game and a dependable punt returner.
The 49ers rookie mini-camp is this coming weekend while the Buccaneers’ is the following weekend. Both Cerge-Henderson and Stewart will graduate this weekend, as well.
As tryout players, both will try to earn undrafted free-agent contracts during the mini-camps.
Defensive end Anree Saint-Amour has an undrafted free-agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback TaQuon Marshall has a rookie mini-camp invitation with the Baltimore Ravens (as a wide receiver) and defensive lineman Desmond Branch has an invitation to the Falcons’ rookie mini-camp.
