NFL players from Laney College are C.J. Anderson, Rejzohn Wright, Nahshon Wright, Sterling Moore, Chuck Jacobs, and Kurt Palandech.
The Netflix documentary series Last Chance U has been popular among football fans since it first aired in 2016. The program focuses on junior college football teams like Laney College as they compete for a spot in a Division I program.
With a long history of success, the show highlights the struggle and victories of the team as they negotiate the difficulties of college football.
The team featured on the documentary series under the Laney college football coach John Beam. Moreover, the Laney college football record in the 2022/23 season currently stands at 8-3 with a .727 winning percentage.
The last season of the series was filmed at Laney College in Oakland, California, and it premiered on July 28, 2020, so fans must be wondering where Laney players from Last Chance U are now.
They have actually gone on to succeed both on and off the field, with several of them signing as undrafted free agents and having great careers.
C. J. Anderson – 32 Years Old
C.J. Anderson is the current running back coach at Rice University. Anderson began his football career at Laney College in Oakland, California.
He spent two years playing with the Eagles from 2009-2010 before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley. He was signed by the Denver Broncos in 2013 as an undrafted free agent after playing college football for California.
Anderson was chosen for one Pro Bowl and played on the team that won the Super Bowl in Super Bowl 50. With the Los Angeles Rams, the running back participated in Super Bowl LIII as well.
During his playing career with NFL, he primarily played with Broncos for five years and also played for teams like Carolina Panthers, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, and Detroit Lions.
Anderson last played with the Lions and announced his retirement from professional football on September 18, 2020. Following his retirement, he decided to coach California’s football team as a volunteer assistant.
Rejzohn Wright – 22 Years Old
Rejzohn Wright is a cornerback for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. Rejzohn signed with Panthers as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2023.
Beginning his football career at Laney College, Wright played for two seasons and was featured in the fifth season of the series Last Chance U.
Wright transferred from Laney to Oregon State and participated in 30 games over the course of three years. While playing at Oregon as a starter, he had 92 tackles and four interceptions.
Rejzohn started out as a cornerback in all thirteen team games, recording 52 tackles, one sack, eight passes, and two interceptions in 2021. As a senior, he was named to the first team of the Pac-12 after recording 38 tackles, two interceptions, and nine pass breaks.
Wright has made an impressive start in the National Football League joining Carolina Panthers. He has been a perfect addition to the Panthers.
Nahshon Wright – 24 Years Old
The 24 years old Nahshon Wright is a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Nahshon signed a four-year contract with Dallas in 2021.
He played cornerback and wide receiver while attending James Logan High School. He later transferred to Laney College and guided the team to the 2018 state championship.
Wright transferred to Oregon State University in 2019 and participated in all 12 games as a sophomore, including 10 starts, and recorded 34 tackles and 3 interceptions.
He made six starts in 2020 and finished with 30 tackles, two interceptions, four passes broken up, and one sack. Nahshon declared for the NFL Draft following the 2020 season.
Playing professionally with Atlanta Falcons, he scored a touchdown after recovering a blocked punt. Nahshon mostly played on special teams with seven defensive tackles and two special teams tackles at the end of the season.
Sterling Moore – 33 Years Old
Sterling Moore is a former football cornerback and a coach. Sterling is currently a defensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL.
Playing for the Eagles, he started at cornerback, playing in 10 games as a freshman and recording 30 tackles, five interceptions, nine passes defensed, and one forced fumble.
Moore then transferred to Southern Methodist University for the second half of his sophomore season. He played in 19 games during his time in college, recording 59 tackles, 2 interceptions, 18 passes deflected, 2 sacks, and one recovered fumble.
He began playing professionally in 2011 after the Oakland Raiders signed him as an undrafted free agent. Throughout his NFL career, Sterling represented New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, and New Orleans Saints.
Chuck Jacobs – 33 Years Old
Next on the list of Laney College NFL players is Chuck Jacobs. Chuck joined the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
After completing high school in 2009, Jacobs enrolled at Laney College. He had 27 receptions for 238 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles.
Chuck enrolled at Utah State in 2011 and started out as a wide receiver for the football team. He participated in all 13 games as a junior in his debut season with the Aggies and he finished his college career with 61 receptions, 826 receiving yards, and 7 receiving touchdowns.
As part of the 49ers’ preseason roster cuts were required, Jacobs was released by San Francisco on August 31, 2015. Baltimore Ravens practice squad signed Jacobs on November 4, 2015, following injuries to Steve Smith Sr.
After Chuck was later waived by Ravens in 2016, he joined the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on February 1, 2017.
Kurt Palandech – 28 Years Old
The emerging American football quarterback Kurt Palandech currently plays for the Nojima Sagamihara Rise in the Japanese X-League.
He has also participated in the German Football League competition for the Berlin Rebels. In 2019, Palandech made his professional debut with the Indoor Football League’s (IFL) Cedar Rapids River Kings.
Kurt signed a contract with the Berlin Rebels in 2019. He led the Rebels to a playoff appearance by throwing for 2,306 yards and 24 touchdowns despite missing three games.
Palandech redshirted his freshman year at the University of North Dakota and one year later enrolled at Laney College in Oakland, California.
He played for the Laney Eagles for just one season, where he recorded 1,634 passing yards, 17 touchdown passes, and 390 rushing yards.
Kurt was chosen as one of the semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2017, which honors the greatest football scholar-athlete in the nation.
Frank Summers – 37 Years Old
Former fullback and member of the special teams in American football, Frank Summers played for Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL.
After playing college football for the University of Nevada, Frank was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Summers was released by the Steelers in 2011. Later, he joined the Buffalo Bills, where he played for two seasons before being released in 2013.
Summers has appeared in 26 games in the National Football League, where he notably rushed for 48 yards, and scored two touchdowns.
Talking about his college football career, he enrolled at the University of California after graduating from high school. However, Frank redshirted the 2004 season before transferring to Laney College in Oakland.
Frank played for the Eagles in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He was a member of the first team of the JC Athletic Bureau All-Americans in 2005.
Tony Sanchez – 49 Years Old
California native Tony Sanchez is a former football wide receiver. Sanchez is currently the wide receiver coach of the New Mexico State Aggies.
He also served as a football head coach at Bishop Gorman High School. Tony began his football career at Laney College and later transferred to New Mexico State University where he played football for two seasons.
After graduating from University, Sanchez began his coaching career in 1996 at New Mexico State. He served as the wide receivers coach at Onate High School during the 1998 season before moving on to Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas in 2000.
Sanchez was hired as the team’s first head coach at California High School in San Ramon, California in 2004. Additionally, he was chosen to lead the UNLV Rebels football team by unanimous decision of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents on December 16, 2014.