POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Over the past decade, Marist football program has increased its footprint in the National Football League.
 

• In the 2018 season, Jason Myers became the first Marist football player to be selected to the Pro Bowl, when he represented the AFC as a member of the New York Jets.
• In 2015, Myers signed his first NFL contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. That season, Miami (with Marist graduate Terrence Fede) faced Jacksonville (with Myers), marking the first time an NFL game was played with a Marist graduate on each team.
• In 2014, Fede became the first NFL Draft choice in program history when he was selected in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins.
• In 2013, Michael Rios signed a rookie free-agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals, becoming the first Marist football player to sign an NFL contract.

 
As the 2019 NFL Draft gets ready to begin on Thursday night, the Marist football program appears poised to add to its recent history.
 
Over the course of the past year, scouts representing nearly every team in the NFL made their way to the Marist campus and to the Red Foxes' games. The object of a considerable amount of their interest was wide receiver Juston Christian.
 
Checking in a 6-foot-0 and 188 pounds this past season, Christian enjoyed an outstanding career as a one of the top big-play threats in the Football Championship Subdivision. He burst onto the scene by leading the FCS in yards per reception as a freshman, continued his upward arc of production by being named First Team All-Pioneer Football League for three straight seasons, and culminated his career by earning numerous accolades and records:
 

• Was named a Third Team FCS All-American as a senior by Phil Steele Publications.
• Set program's single-season (15) and career (34) records for receiving touchdowns.
• Set the program's single-game (274) and career (4,069) records for receiving yardage.

 
Since the 2018 season ended, Christian has been busy with workouts, All-Star Games, and Pro Days. In January, he traveled to Texas for the Gridiron Showcase. In mid-March, he landed on the radar of even more scouts with a strong showing at University at Buffalo Pro Day, which included representatives from 31 NFL teams. Workouts with several NFL teams followed over the next few weeks.
 
Christian was one of six Red Foxes whose collegiate playing careers ended in 2018 who competed in collegiate All-Star Games and Pro Days. The list includes linebacker Willie Barrett, safety Wesley Beans, cornerback Brandon Miller, defensive lineman Enmanuel Soriano, and defensive lineman Eric Taylor.
 
In all, nearly two dozen Marist football players have gone on to play professionally after graduation, including the NFL, arena leagues, and internationally. The most recent was offensive lineman Rich Duncan-Murphy, who joined the Green Bay Blizzard of the Indoor Football League earlier this year.