SU Players In The NFL: Delone Carter, Doug Hogue Among 10 SU Players On Season-Opening Rosters

Indianapolis Colts rookie and former Syracuse University running back Delone Carter carried the ball seven times for 25 yards Sunday in a 34-7 loss to the Houston Texans. Carter's longest run was an eight-yard plunge that came at the tail end of the first half. Despite his team's terrible start to the season, Carter had the second-most carriers among the Colts running backs, while starting running back Joseph Addai had team-high eight carries.

Here's a look at how other Syracuse football alums did during Week 1 of the NFL season:

Donovan McNabb (QB, Minnesota Vikings): McNabb completed 7-of-15 passes for just 39 yards in the Vikings 24-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers. McNabb threw for a touchdown and scrambled for 32 yards, but was picked on his first attempt of the game.

Jameel McClain (RILB, Baltimore Ravens): Made one tackle in the Raven's 35-7 victory over division rival the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Olindo Mare (K, Carolina Panthers): Made three extra points in the Panthers' 28-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Doug Hogue (LB, Detroit Lions): Was inactive for the Lions contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dwight Freeney (DE, Colts): Started, but did not record a tackle or sack.

Steve Gregory (SS, San Diego Chargers): Made one tackle for the Chargers.

Rookies Delone Carter (Indianapolis Colts) and Doug Hogue (Detroit Lions) are among 10 former Syracuse University players to earn NFL roster spots as the 2011 NFL season begins.

Carter, a running back selected in the fourth round, gained 92 yards on 22 carries (4.2 yards per carry) in the preseason. Hogue, a linebacker selected in the fifth round, made seven tackles during the Lions four preseason games.

Here are the other former SU players on NFL rosters:

- Dwight Freeney (DE, Indianapolis) — A six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All Pro who had 10 sacks a season ago.

- Steve Gregory (DB, San Diego Chargers) — A strong safety entering his sixth season, Gregory started nine games last season.

- Tanard Jackson (S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — Entering his fifth season, Jackson started just two games a season after being a regular his first three years in Tampa Bay.

- Arthur Jones (DT, Baltimore Ravens) — Played in just two games in 2010 as a rookie.

- Olindo Mare (K, Carolina Panthers) — Entering his 15th season in the league, Mare is in his first year in Carolina.

- Jameel McClain (LB, Baltimore Ravens) — A fourth-year pro, 2010 was McClain’s first as a starter for Baltimore.

- Donvan McNabb (QB, Minnesota Vikings) — Starting over in Minnesota after a tumultuous season with the Washington Redskins. McNabb is in his 13th season and has been to six Pro Bowls.

- Anthony Smith (DB, Tennessee Titans) — Smith is in his sixth year in the NFL. He split last season with Jacksonville and Green Bay.

NFL teams have been announcing cuts the past couple of days as they trim their rosters to 80 by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET per league rules. Ex-Orange stars Delone Carter and Doug Hogue should have nothing to worry about, though.

Carter, a running back drafted in the fourth round, has been the Indianapolis Colts leading rusher in the preseason. In three games he has 17 carries for a team-high 81 yards with a long run of 16 yards. That is an average of 4.8 yards per carry. He is competing with veterans Joseph Addai and Donald Brown for playing time.

Hogue, a linebacker drafted in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions, has six tackles and a pass defensed in three games for Detroit. He appears unlikely to get regular playing time once the season starts, but should be on Detroit’s kickoff and punt coverage teams.

NFL teams have to be down to the 53-man roster limit on Sept. 3.

Former Syracuse University center Ryan Bartholomew, trying to make the roster as an undrafted free agent, was one of nine players cut Friday by the Baltimore Ravens.

Baltimore's cuts were made in advance of Tuesday's first mandatory NFL roster reduction. Teams must trim their rosters from 80 to 80 players by 4 p.m. ET.

Delone Carter, drafted in the fourth round by the Indianapolis Colts, and linebacker Doug Hogue, drafted in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions, each look as though they will make their respective team's 53-man rosters.

Delone Carter, the former Syracuse University running back, carried the ball four times for a team-high 25 yards for the Indianapolis Colts Friday night in a 16-3 preseason loss to the Washington Redskins. He also caught two passes for seven yards against the Redskins.

Carter, a fourth-round pick by the Colts (119th overall), now has 54 yards on 10 carries in two preseason games. The 5-foot-9, 225-pound rookie is bidding to break into a running back rotation that includes incumbents Joseph Addai and Donald Brown. Carter had a long run Friday of 11 yards. In the preseason opener against the St. Louis Rams he broke off a 16-yard run.

Another former Syracuse player, Doug Hogue, is trying to make the roster with the Detroit Lions as a reserve linebacker and special teams player. Hogue, a fifth-round draft pick by the Lions, made two tackles Friday night as the Lions defeated the Cleveland Browns, 30-28.

Former Syracuse University running Delone Carter is turning heads in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts, and pushing incumbents Joseph Addai and Donald Brown for playing time.

Here is some praise for Carter, drafted in the fourth round by the Colts (119th overall) from SI.com:

The Colts re-signed Joseph Addai in the offseason, mainly because of Addai’s versatility and comfort in the Indianapolis offense. Between his ability to block, catch passes out of the backfield and run the football, Addai became irreplaceable for Indianapolis.

But Carter’s emerged as a definite threat to steal some playing time. The Syracuse product is big at 225 pounds and should at least provide the Colts some help in short-yardage and red-zone situations. He’s durable, too — he topped 230 carries each of the past two seasons for the Orange.

In a fantasy football column, SI refers to Carter as "the next great hope" for the Colts at running back.

Carter is the next great hope to replace what Edgerrin James once offered eons ago. Carter is thick (225 pounds), which is to say he can be a great short-yardage and goal-line option, and his success at Syracuse suggests he can carry the full load. Over the past two seasons, Carter averaged 18.6 carries per contest for the Orange -- 4.1 more carries per game than Addai, and 10.0 more than Brown over the same span.

Carter and the Colts are in action Friday night (7 p.m. ET) in a preseason game against the Washington Redskins. Carter carried six times for 29 yards in Indianapolis' preseason opener.