Here are the Eagle Scouts playing in the NFL in 2017

Not all Eagle Scouts go on to be Eagles like Donnie Jones, punter of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Others find careers as Raiders, Dolphins, Chiefs, Ravens, Broncos, Falcons, Redskins, Texans and Saints.

A search of the NFL’s 2017 active rosters — 1,692 players in all — turns up at least 11 Eagle Scouts. These guys are living proof that great things start in Scouting.

Compiling this list, like winning a Super Bowl, was a team effort. BSA researcher Scott Olson created a spreadsheet of every player on NFL teams’ 53-man rosters. Then the National Eagle Scout Association’s Ryan Larson cross-referenced that list with his own spreadsheet of the 2.4 million-plus Eagle Scouts in history.

That spawned a list of Eagle Scout potentials for me to investigate. First, I eliminated the false positives. For example, there are several NFL players named Chris Jones and lots of Eagle Scouts with that name, but there are no Eagle Scouts named Chris Jones currently playing in the NFL.

After all that, we have confirmation that each of the NFL players below is an Eagle Scout.

Put another way: Scott threw a deep pass, and Ryan caught it for the game-winning touchdown. I was simply there on the sidelines to give them both a high five.

Two things to know:

• Unlike my annually updated list of Eagle Scouts with Super Bowl ties, this list includes only Eagle Scouts on NFL rosters at the start of 2017 season. Others, including players on the practice squad or reserve rosters, weren’t included.
• There’s a chance this list is incomplete, so let’s crowdsource it. If you know of an Eagle Scout on a current NFL team, leave a comment below and I’ll verify and add him.

OK, it’s game time.

James Cowser, Oakland Raiders

Position: Defensive end

Date of birth: Sept. 13, 1990

Eagle earned: 2003

Council: Trapper Trails Council

College: Southern Utah University

More: Cowser was undrafted out of college, where the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder set the NCAA FCS record with 43.5 career sacks. Before that, he did his LDS mission trip in Hong Kong and is now fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

John Denney, Miami Dolphins

Position: Long snapper

Date of birth: Dec. 13, 1978

Eagle earned: 1996

Council: Denver Area Council

College: Brigham Young University

More: Denney, signed by the Dolphins in 2005, is the team’s longest-tenured player. He’s in his 13th NFL season with the Dolphins, joining a very short list of players who have had that kind of longevity with one team.

Jordan Devey, Kansas City Chiefs

Position: Offensive tackle

Date of birth: Jan. 11, 1988

Eagle earned: 2006

Council: Utah National Parks

College: University of Memphis

More: Devey won the 2015 Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots.

Donnie Jones, Philadelphia Eagles

Position: Punter

Date of birth: July 5, 1980

Eagle earned: 1998

Council: Istrouma Area

College: Louisiana State University

More: Last season, the 37-year-old had a 45.8-yard punting average and even boomed a 72-yarder.

Bronson Kaufusi, Baltimore Ravens

Position: Defensive end

Date of birth: July 6, 1991

Eagle earned: 2006

Council: Utah National Parks Council

College: Brigham Young University

More: In 2016, the Ravens drafted Kaufusi in the third round — pick No. 70 overall. Unfortunately, he broke his ankle in training camp that year, but he’s fully healed and is eager to make his Ravens debut in 2017.

Matt Paradis, Denver Broncos

Position: Center

Date of birth: Oct. 12, 1989

Eagle earned: 2008

Council: Ore-Ida Council

College: Boise State University

More: For his Eagle Scout service project, Paradis renovated and enlarged a long-jump pit and shotput area. In the recent offseason, Paradis had surgery on both hips. He made a full recovery in time for the 2017 season.

Eric Saubert, Atlanta Falcons

Position: Tight end

Date of birth: May 1, 1994

Eagle earned: 2012

Council: Pathway to Adventure Council

College: Drake University

More: Saubert was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and made the 53-man roster to begin his rookie season. In college, he was a first-team all-conference pick and an All-American.

Brandon Scherff, Washington Redskins

Position: Offensive guard

Date of birth: Dec. 26, 1991

Eagle earned: 2009

Council: Mid-America Council

College: University of Iowa

More: Scherff, drafted fifth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, is the highest-drafted Eagle Scout on this list. After a strong 2016 season in which he started every game, Scherff was named to the Pro Bowl.

Daniel Sorensen, Kansas City Chiefs

Position: Defensive back

Date of birth: March 5, 1990

Eagle earned: 2008

Council: California Inland Empire Council

College: Brigham Young University

More: For his Eagle Scout service project, Sorensen planted 300 trees in his hometown of Grand Terrace, Calif. The trees are still there today — forever a reminder of the young man’s service. Sorensen has become an important part of the Chiefs defense and was rewarded with a four-year contract extension in 2017.

Xavier Su’A-Filo, Houston Texans

Position: Offensive guard

Date of birth: Jan. 1, 1991

Eagle earned: 2009

Council: Utah National Parks Council

College: UCLA

More: Of his Scouting past, Su’A-Filo said: “I think it says a lot about me and my dedication, my leadership and my worth ethic. That’s something that I’ll bring and that I get to bring in the locker room in that environment.”

Manti Te’o, New Orleans Saints

Position: Linebacker

Date of birth: Jan. 26, 1991

Eagle earned: 2008

Council: Aloha Council

College: University of Notre Dame

More: In 2012, Te’o told a crowd about a good deed he had performed for a woman in need. “I had a big smile on my face expecting my dad to tell me how proud he was,” Manti told the group. “But instead, he just simply said, ‘That’s what being a Scout is all about.'”

Any I missed?

I’m looking for more Eagle Scouts on current NFL rosters. If you have any you’d like me to check out, please leave a comment below.

Others worth mentioning

• Jordan Devey, guard (2006 Eagle Scout): Devey was cut from the Chiefs on Sept. 7.
• Elijah Hood, running back (2014 Eagle Scout): Hood is a member of the Raiders practice squad.