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WILDCATS IN THE NFL: Week 12

BracketCat takes a look at how former Kansas State Wildcats performed in Week 12 of the 2014 NFL season.

Daniel Thomas scored a touchdown impressively Sunday in a narrow loss at Denver.
Daniel Thomas scored a touchdown impressively Sunday in a narrow loss at Denver.
Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

This is a feature in which I track the progress of former Wildcats greats such as Darren Sproles and Jordy Nelson in the ranks of professional football.

For now, I shall restrict it to National Football League performances until I get the hang of it, but expanding it to other professional leagues such as the Canadian Football League and Arena Football is a future possibility.

Per a reader's suggestion, I have re-ordered these players by position and listed the inactive players at the bottom. I hope that helps people to find the performances they're seeking more easily.

Offense

Bryce Brown

RB — Buffalo Bills
K-Stater from 2010 to 2011
Drafted by the Eagles in 2012

A seventh-round pick in 2012 by Philadelphia who was traded to Buffalo in the offseason, Brown helped the Bills to earn a 38-3 victory over the New York Jets in Detroit in a Monday Night Football game that was moved due to heavy snowfall in upstate New York.

Brown rushed six times for 20 yards, pushing his season rushing total to 84 yards on 26 attempts, while he also has hauled in seven receptions for 57 yards this season. Buffalo improved to 6-5 with the win.

Cornelius Lucas

OL — Detroit Lions
K-Stater from 2009 to 2013
Signed by the Lions in 2014

An undrafted rookie free-agent offensive lineman, Lucas played in the Lions' 34-9 loss Sunday at New England. He has played in 10 games this year for Detroit, which fell to 7-4 with the loss.

Jordy Nelson

WR — Green Bay Packers
K-Stater from 2003 to 2007
Drafted by the Packers in 2008

Nelson, a seventh-year veteran, made eight catches for 68 yards in Green Bay's 24-21 victory Sunday at divisional foe Minnesota.

A career 52-game starter, Nelson topped the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career, including a second straight season, and he has 68 receptions for 1,066 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014.

He is tied for fourth in the league in touchdowns, and ranks fifth in yards and eighth in receptions. In his seven-year career, Nelson has 370 receptions for 5,656 yards and 45 touchdowns. The Packers lead the NFC North at 8-3.

Darren Sproles

RB — Philadelphia Eagles
K-Stater from 2001 to 2004
Drafted by the Chargers in 2005

Sproles, a 10th-year pro, totaled 89 all-purpose yards in Philadelphia's 43-24 home win Sunday over Tennessee.

The running back ran six times for 25 yards and a touchdown, caught three passes for 14 yards, and returned six punts for 50 yards. The Eagles improved to 8-3 with the win.

Traded to the Eagles from the Saints in the offseason, Sproles tallied has 282 rushing yards and five touchdowns, 294 receiving yards, and a 14.9-yard average on punt returns.

He also has racked up 16,543 career all-purpose yards to rank 16th in NFL history.

Daniel Thomas

RB — Miami Dolphins
K-Stater from 2009 to 2010
Drafted by the Dolphins in 2011

Thomas, a 2011 draft pick by Miami who was cut and then re-signed by the Dolphins this year, rushed three times for 19 yards and a touchdown in Miami's narrow 39-36 loss Sunday at Denver.

In eight games this year, the fourth-year back has 157 rushing yards on 40 carries and 97 receiving yards on nine catches for the 6-5 Dolphins.

Defense

Zac Diles

LB — Cleveland Browns
K-Stater from 2005 to 2006
Drafted by the Texans in 2007

Diles, who was signed by Cleveland on Tuesday, played in the Browns' 26-24 home victory over Atlanta, but did not record any statistics. The Browns improved to 7-4 and sit half a game back of first place in the AFC North Division.

Emmanuel Lamur

LB — Cincinnati Bengals
K-Stater from 2009 to 2011
Signed by the Bengals in 2012

Lamur, an undrafted rookie free-agent signee in 2012, made eight tackles in Cincinnati's 22-13 win Sunday at Houston. Cincinnati leads the AFC North with a 7-3-1 record.

The strongside linebacker, who had double-digit tackle games each of the previous two weeks, now has 79 stops this season to go with seven passes defended and two interceptions.

Terence Newman

CB — Cincinnati Bengals
K-Stater from 1998 to 2002
Drafted by the Cowboys in 2003

Newman, a 12-year NFL veteran, made his 169th career start in Cincinnati's 22-13 win Sunday at Houston. The cornerback recorded four tackles and batted away two passes.

Newman now has 724 career tackles and 143 career passes defended, including season totals of 55 and 10, respectively. The Bengals improved to an AFC North-leading 7-3-1 with the win.

Justin Tuggle

LB — Houston Texans
K-Stater from 2011 to 2012
Signed by the Texans in 2013

Tuggle, a second-year linebacker, recorded one tackle in Houston's 22-13 home loss Sunday to Cincinnati. The Texans fell to 5-6.

In 11 games this season, the former undrafted rookie free agent has 37 tackles to improve his two-year career total to 51.

Inactive

Arthur Brown

LB — Baltimore Ravens
K-Stater from 2010 to 2012
Drafted by the Ravens in 2013

Brown, a second-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, was inactive for the Ravens' 34-27 win Monday night at New Orleans. Brown has played in two games this season for the 7-4 Ravens.

Jeromey Clary

OL — San Diego Chargers
K-Stater from 2002 to 2005
Drafted by the Chargers in 2006

Clary, an eighth-year offensive lineman for San Diego, remains on the Chargers' physically unable to perform list.

San Diego improved to 7-4 with a 27-24 home win Sunday over St. Louis.

Tavon Rooks

OL — New Orleans Saints
K-Stater from 2012 to 2013
Drafted by the Saints in 2014

A sixth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Rooks is on the New Orleans Saints' practice squad. The Saints lost at home Monday night to Baltimore, 27-10, to see their record fall to 4-7.

Reggie Walker

LB — San Diego Chargers
K-Stater from 2005 to 2008
Drafted by the Cardinals in 2009

Walker, a sixth-year pro, was inactive for San Diego's 27-24 home win Sunday over St. Louis. In his second season in San Diego, Walker has 11 tackles this year for the 7-4 Chargers.

Ty Zimmerman

S — New Orleans Saints
K-Stater from 2010 to 2013
Signed by the Saints in 2014

Zimmerman, an undrafted rookie free-agent signee by the New Orleans Saints, is on injured reserve for the 2014 season. New Orleans fell at home Monday night to Baltimore, 34-27, to see its record drop to 4-7.