Update: Sept. 4 at 5:51 p.m.
Victor Ochi, Stony Brook’s all-time career sack leader, returns to New York as he signed to the New York Jets practice squad on Sunday afternoon, according to his agent Jared Fox.
The Valley Stream native was waived from the Baltimore Ravens this Saturday during their final round of preseason cuts, the Ravens announced Saturday morning.
Beginning Sunday at noon, another team had 24 hours to claim Ochi to their squad. No team took the bait and the Jets followed with a practice squad offer.
Although not on the Jet’s regular-season roster, Ochi’s dream of playing NFL football season are not quite exhausted. If the Jets are plagued by injury and need to fill a roster spot, they may look to plug in depth-chart holes with practice squad players or with free agent signings.
Despite predictions that Ochi would be selected in an early-round from draft luminaries such as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., his name was never called during this year’s NFL draft weekend. But soon after the doors shut at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, the former Seawolf was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens.
Looking to join New York Giants tight end Will Tye as the second Stony Brook alumnus to make a regular-season roster, Ochi finished his preseason with five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. He holds career Stony Brook records in both sacks, 32.5, and tackles for a loss, 49.
Although he produced in his limited opportunity, Ochi’s preseason playing time was scarce. Making the transition from defensive end in college to outside linebacker in the pros, Ochi faced steep training camp competition. The Raven’s Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil have been perennial Pro Bowl selections, while Za’Darius Smith recorded 5.5 sacks in his rookie campaign with the Ravens last season.
The cut came eight days before the Raven’s regular season opener against the Buffalo Bills, which will take place on Sunday, September 11th. With the season soon approaching, the Ravens enacted their final preseason cut down, shedding from 75 players to 53.
