Courtesy of GoGriffs.com
Former Canisius men’s basketball player Chris Manhertz made his first appearance in an NFL preseason game Thursday night, as the New Orleans Saints traveled to Foxboro, Mass., to take on the New England Patriots. Manhertz spent the 2015 season on the Saints’ practice squad and signed a reserve/futures contact with the organization on Jan. 5, 2016.
The Bronx, New York native played most of the game’s second half, and he was credited with one catch for 11 yards early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots defeated the Saints 33-22 in the first preseason game of the season for both teams.
Manhertz originally signed a reserve/futures contract with the Buffalo Bills in Dec. 2014. As a basketball player for the Griffs, he played in 116 career games from 2010-14 where he made 94 starts and averaged 6.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for his career. A three-time team captain, he ranks fourth in school history with 789 career rebounds and he is just one of three players since 1951 to lead the Blue and Gold in rebounding in three consecutive seasons.
In his four years at the College, Manhertz served on Canisius’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and he earned his undergraduate degree in health and wellness. He also completed his master’s degree work in 2014, earning a master’s in sport administration from Canisius. He is the first Canisius student-athlete to sign a pro contract with an NFL team since former football player Tom Doctor signed with the Buffalo Bills for training camp in 1988.
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