ORONO, Maine – A total of seven former Black Bears are currently members of professional football organizations, as of May 20, 2024.

Maine's list of current professionals includes Patrick Ricard (Baltimore Ravens), Zavier Scott (Indianapolis Colts), Andre Miller (Ottawa Redblacks), Shawn Bowman (Jacksonville Jaguars), Justin Sambu (Toronto Argonauts); Deshawn Stevens (Ottawa Redblacks); and Terrence Ganyi (BC Lions).

The collection of professional Black Bears is led by four-time Pro Bowl selection Ricard. Ricard, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022, has played seven seasons in the National Football League. Ricard, mostly featured as fullback during his professional career, has 45 receptions for 293 yards with six touchdowns with Baltimore.
Scott, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, was an All-CAA third team selection in 2022 and an offensive weapon for the Black Bears as a threat both through the air and on the ground. Scott led the Black Bears with a career-high 42 receptions in 2022 while also leading Maine with a career-best 434 receiving yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Scott averaged a league-high 9.3 yards per carry with 371 yards on 39 attempts while ranking second on the team with four rushing touchdowns. In his time with the Black Bears, Scott appeared in 24 games while tallying 60 receptions for 649 yards with two touchdowns while adding 74 carries for 494 yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Miller, who enjoyed stints with both the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, was signed by Ottawa in May of 2024. A two-time All-CAA honoree, Miller registered a career-high 39 receptions for a career-best 684 yards and three touchdowns in nine games as he ranked ninth in the CAA in receptions per game (3.9), fourth in receiving yards per game (68.4) while averaging 17.5 yards per catch in his senior season at Maine. He concluded his career with the Black Bears ranked 14th on Maine's all-time receiving yards list with 1,848 yards, including seven performances of 100 yards or more in a single game, to go along with 104 receptions and 14 touchdowns.

Bowman, who played at tight end at Maine from 2018-2022, signed a rookie free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in April of 2024. Bowman, who spent the final year of his collegiate career at Rutgers, was a two-time All-CAA third team selection while with the Black Bears. Bowman appeared in 34 games for the Black Bears where he registered 86 receptions for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Ganyi was selected by the BC Lions in the sixth round, 53rd overall, of the Canadian Football League Draft. Ganyi, who transferred to Maine for the 2022 season after playing two previous seasons (2018, 2019) at UConn, appeared in 12 games at Maine while registering 13 tackles. Ganyi set his Maine career high with four stops in the 2024 season finale against New Hampshire.

Stevens, who was drafted with the sixth pick of the first round of the Canadian Football League's Draft, played four seasons for the Black Bears where he appeared in 29 games while registering 211 tackles. Stevens' best season came in 2018 when he guided the Black Bears to the NCAA FCS Semifinals while earning All-CAA second team accolades. During the 2018 campaign, Stevens led Maine with 120 tackles, 17.0 for loss, with 9.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, two pass breakups, and an interception. Following his time at Maine, Stevens played the 2021 season at West Virginia where he appeared in 12 games with 12 tackles.

Sambu played four seasons (2018-22) at Maine, logging time in 28 games. He totaled 59 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks in his career with the Black Bears while forcing two fumbles and recovering one fumble. Following his stint at Maine, Sambu transferred to Baylor where he appeared in 12 games for the Bears during the 2023 season.

-UMaine-