After going undrafted in 2013, former Lehigh football wide receiver Ryan Spadola has bounced around the NFL over the past year and a half. His next stop: the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals officially announced the signing Dec. 2 via its official Twitter page after a report by Cardinals beat writer Darren Urban. It will be Spadola’s fourth team so far after spending brief periods of time with the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons.
Spadola first broke into the league with the Jets after signing with them on April 27, 2013, the same day as the end of the 2013 NFL Draft. He had a big game in the preseason that year, catching three passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, including a 70-yard reception.
The Jets released him on Oct. 5, 2013. They apparently wanted to re-sign him, but Spadola instead decided to sign to the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins. He was then brought up to the main roster a couple weeks later, but was released at the end of the preseason the next year.
A couple weeks later, he was signed again to an NFL practice squad, this time with the Atlanta Falcons. He remained on their practice squad for a month and a half until he was replaced by someone else and released. About a week after that, he signed with the Cardinals.
Spadola is statistically one of the best wide receivers in Lehigh’s history. He finished his four years with the team with 3,611 total yards and 24 touchdowns. His best season was his junior year, in which he totaled 96 catches for 1,614 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games.
With four weeks left in this year’s NFL season, Spadola will look to move up to the main roster for a chance to play for a 9-3 playoff contender.
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