NEW HAVEN, Conn. –The NFL season kicks off on Thursday night and two former Yale standouts are ready for big roles on the same franchise in 2020. Both Foyesade Oluokun and Jaeden Graham have made the Atlanta Falcons for the third and second year, respectively.

The Falcons start their season start their season Sunday, September 13, at home in Atlanta vs. the Seattle Seahawks.

Oluokun, opens the season as a starting linebacker for the Falcons after appearing in all 16 games in each of the past two seasons since being drafted in the sixth round in 2018. He was Yale's first draft pick since 2011.

"Being on the football team at Yale really helped me understand how to prioritize my time. I learned great techniques from the coaches and learned the type of work ethic and attention to detail it takes to make it in this league, said Oluokun. It's always been a dream of mine to play pro ball. People go to Yale to work in industries and professions they love… I've done what I could to get into this one."
 
Oluokun, an All-Ivy League First Teamer, racked up the fourth-most tackles by a rookie in Falcons history and has totaled 146 stops over 10 starts and 32 games as a pro.
 
Graham also played in all 16 games last season after spending a season on the practice squad. He recorded his first career touchdown in Week 13 against the New Orleans Saints, finishing the game with four receptions for 41 yards. He now enters 2020 as a starter in two tight end sets.
 
"Playing in the NFL is more than just a dream come true for me. It is the culmination of a lot of hard work and the support of those around me," said Graham. "Yale Football gave me that support system which allowed me to chase down my dream."
 
Graham, also an All-Ivy First Teamer, helped the Bulldogs, along with Oluokun, to a 2017 Ivy League Championship and helped set the tone for the Elis to win two conference titles in the past three seasons.
 
The Falcons' duo are the onfield representatives of a strong Yale presence in the NFL.
 
YALIES IN THE NFL
 
Players
Jaeden Graham – Atlanta Falcons – tight end
Foyesade Oluokun – Atlanta Falcons - linebacker
 
Coaches
Patrick Graham – New York Giants – assistant head coach/defensive coordinator
Josh Grizzard – Miami Dolphins – wide receivers coach
Chandler Henley – Tennessee Titans – quality control
Michael McDaniel – San Francisco 49ers – run game coordinator
Daniel Stern – Baltimore Ravens – analyst 
 
Scouts
Nic La Testa – New York Giants – scout
Deon Randall – Denver Broncos – scout
Grant Wallace – Miami Dolphins – scout
 
Front Office
Onnie Bose – NFL – vice president, events
Aileen Dagrosa (volleyball) – Philadelphia Eagles – senior vice president, general counsel
Brandon Etheridge – Baltimore Ravens – General Counsel
Kristen Forster Kaufmann (soccer) – NFL – human resources
Josh Helmrich – NFL – director of strategy and business development
Max Napolitano – Miami Dolphins – director of administration and strategy