Two former Sam Houston State football players have signed contracts to play in the National Football League. Offensive lineman Brandon Hale with the Dallas Cowboys and safety Scorpio Babers with the Miami Dolphins will both attempt to continue their football playing careers on the professional level.
Hale (6-3, 311 pounds) started 22 straight games for the Bearkats on the offensive line and anchored a crew that helped sophomore running back Chris Poullard to 1,038 yard and 13 touchdowns in 2007. Hale was a four-year letter winner and two-time All-Southland Conference selection including first-team recognition last season.
In 2006 Hale, from Grand Prairie, started all 11 games helping current Jacksonville Jaguar running back D.D. Terry to a school-record 1,328 yards. He started the first four games of 2005 before suffering a season-ending hand injury.
Babers (5-11, 190) played three years for the Bearkats from 2003-04 and again in 2006. During the 2006 season he was sixth on the team in tackles with 46. He has one interception and eight pass breakups that season. For his career, the Italy, Texas native totaled 67 tackles. He will join former Sam Houston State safety Keith Davis, who signed a free agent contract with the Dolphins in the offseason. Davis is also from Italy.
This past season, four Bearkats were on NFL rosters with quarterback Josh McCown in Oakland, Davis in Dallas, tight end Keith Heinrich in Tampa Bay and Terry in Jacksonville. This past offseason, McCown joined Davis as a Dolphin.
