The NFL season is set to kick off, with the Dallas Cowboys facing off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 9. There will be multiple former Irish football players in action later this weekend. Cathedral graduates Jack Doyle ‘08, Ted Karras ‘11, Terry McLaurin ‘14 and Pete Werner ‘17 will all suit up for their respective teams. 

But it was not too long ago that these athletes were on the field competing for State championships. Each player has accrued numerous accolades from their time on the Hill to present. 

Jack Doyle: Doyle was a three-sport star for the Irish. In addition to football, he played basketball and was a member of the rugby team. He also played tight end on the football teams that won State championships in 2006 and 2008. Doyle received his only scholarship offer from Western Kentucky, where he was the starting tight end for four years. Doyle accumulated more than 1,500 receiving yards and eight touchdowns while at Western Kentucky. He then entered the 2013 NFL draft, where he went undrafted. However, he was quickly signed by the Tennessee Titans before being waived as a part of roster cuts. The Indianapolis Colts then signed Doyle, and he is still playing for the Colts to this day. Entering his ninth NFL season, Doyle has over 2,000 receiving yards and 21 touchdown catches. 

Ted Karras: Karras was a member of three State championship football teams, in 2008, 2010 and 2011, as an offensive lineman. He attended the University of Illinois after being ranked as one of the Top 25 offensive guards in the country by ESPN. For the Fighting Illini, Karras started 43 career games over four seasons, and was a team captain his senior year. Karras entered the 2016 NFL Draft and was selected with the 221st pick in the sixth round by the New England Patriots. Karras spent four seasons with the Patriots as a right guard and center before signing with the Miami Dolphins for the 2020 season, where he started all 16 games at center. For the upcoming season, Karras is back with the Patriots for the second time. 

Terry McLaurin: McLaurin played wide receiver for four State championship teams while at Cathedral from 2010 to 2013. In the 2013 5A State title game, McLaurin recorded three touchdowns and an interception on defense. At the end of that season, he was voted as the best player in the state after accumulating 953 receiving yards and 744 rushing yards along with 14 total touchdowns. He was named Mr. Football and rated as the 61st best wide receiver in his graduating class, according to ESPN. McLaurin committed to play football at the Ohio State University on a scholarship, passing on offers such as Indiana University, Purdue University and Michigan State University. While playing for the Buckeyes from 2015 to 2018, McLaurin recorded over 1,250 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns, including 11 during his senior season. He was also a team captain in 2017 and 2018 and was a member of the 2014 national championship team. After a very successful college career, McLaurin entered the 2019 NFL draft and was selected with the 76th pick in the third round by the Washington Football Team. Entering his third season for Washington, McLaurin has already recorded more than 2,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions.

Pete Werner: Werner played linebacker for the Irish for two seasons, after transferring to Cathedral from Mount Vernon before his junior year. During his senior season, he recorded 64 tackles, including 17 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks. Werner was named the best linebacker in Indiana by the IndyStar and was ranked as the 27th best linebacker in the nation by ESPN. He had scholarship offers from prestigious schools such as Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Northwestern. However, he committed to play at Ohio State. In four years, Werner started 35 games at linebacker and in his senior season led the team with 54 tackles. During his college career, Werner totaled 185 tackles with four sacks and 16 tackles-for-loss. He entered the 2020 NFL draft and was selected with the 60th pick in the second round by the New Orleans Saints. He is heading into his rookie season and will play his first game on Sept. 12.

Source: NFL.com player profiles posted on each team’s website