Tampa Bay Buccaneers invite Phillip Ely to rookie mini-camp

Thankfully for him, injuries didn't keep Phillip Ely off the field much like they did in his first season with the Toledo Rockets. Though he didn't "wow" you with the stats, Ely was a leader, captain, and earned a rookie mini-camp invitation from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Initially, Ely went to play for Alabama. Things didn't exactly pan out there, so he transferred to Toledo in 2012, sitting out the next year. As a redshirt-junior, he completed 41 of 62 passes before coming down with a knee injury in the second game of the season. He was able to rehab after his surgery and re-earn his starting role as a senior. That year, he led Toledo to a 10-2 record with a bowl win over Temple, completed 56.1 percent of his passes for 2,965 yards (23 touchdowns, 10 interceptions), and showed good ball distribution with four receivers with at least our TD receptions (three had over 500 yards, 5 TD).