ASHBURN, VA (WTKR)- Sunday marked final cut-down day for all 32 NFL teams, as they trimmed their active rosters to 53 players coming out of the preseason.
One rookie hailing from Norfolk is seeing his hard work pay off.
Running back Kaytron Allen has made the Commanders' initial 53-man roster, beating out fellow rookie Robert Henry Jr. for the final running back spot.
Allen put in a solid offseason program and training camp. His first preseason performance saw him rush for 85 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and Miami failed to stop him in the backfield on any of his touches. He picked up 10 carries for 30 yards in the second preseason contest at Detroit, before being limited to three carries for four yards at Baltimore this past Friday, where he fumbled on the first play from scrimmage for Washington.
The Norfolk native joins Rachaad White and Jacory Croskey-Merritt on the depth chart at running back. Jeremy McNichols was placed in injured reserve with a designation to return.
Allen played his freshman year of high school at Norview before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He played his college football at Penn State, becoming the Nittany Lions' all-time leading rusher before being selected by the Commanders in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft in April.
The 53-man roster will change between now and Washington's opener in Philadelphia on September 13. To see the team's initial 53-man roster, click here.
Some other Hampton Roads products earned spots on NFL rosters:
Former Norview star Daylen Everette will suit up for the Steelers at defensive back. He was a third round pick by the team in this year's draft.
Oscar Smith product Josh Sweat is a linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals. He's kicking off his second season in the desert.
Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith is set to begin his second season with the Chargers. Lambert-Smith is a Maury graduate.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
