MOULTRIE — Five former Colquitt County football players have been in National Football League camps this summer, including former Georgia Bulldog running back Daijun Edwards, who has scored an exhibition game touchdown for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jay Ward, who is back for his second season as a defensive back with the Minnesota Vikings.

Edwards, who led Georgia in rushing last season, signed as a free agent with the Steelers soon after the NFL draft.

After being drafted in the fourth round as the 134th overall selection in 2023, Ward played in all 17 games for the Vikings last season and could play a larger role this year.

Also seeking roster berths this summer are longtime NFL offensive lineman Cameron Erving, who is with the Houston Texans; defensive tackle T.J. Smith, who signed with the Carolina Panthers; and tight end John Samuel Shenker, who is with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Erving, 31, signed with Texas earlier this month.

A former first-round draft pick by Cleveland in 2015, Erving played three seasons with the Browns.

In 2018, the former Florida State Seminole was traded to Kansas City and was on the Chiefs Super Bowl championship team in 2019.

He has since played for the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, appearing in 98 NFL games, starting 58.

Two of his starts came with the Saints last season.

Erving was a starting defensive tackle for Colquitt County before being moved to offense at Florida State.

Smith played at Arkansas after his 2014 senior season at Colquitt County and was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020.

He also has been with the Minnesota Vikings organization before signing with the Panthers last May.

Shenker, who played his 2016 senior season at Colquitt County before heading to Auburn, signed a reserve/future contract with the Raiders in January.

He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Raiders in 2023.

Shenker played in 68 games for Auburn and graduated with the program’s most receptions by a tight end.

Of this and that:

• The Georgia High School Daily has highlighted two Packers as being among the top special teams players in the state.

The publication notes that Brett Fitzgerald, who made 15-of-17 field goal attempts last season, is ranked No. 21 nationally among high school senior place-kickers.

The younger brother of Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald has been a MaxPreps All-American as both a sophomore and a junior.

Fitzgerald has offers from Army and Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Rubio Long Snapping ranks Colquitt County senior snapper Chason Glenn No. 13 nationally and No. 1 in Georgia.

Glenn has an offer from Georgia Southern.

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently released its annual Super 11 list of the top high school players in the state.

And while no Colquitt County players were selected, five who were picked are familiar to the Packers and their fans.

On the list are the quarterbacks who helped lead their teams to playoff victories over the Packers the last two seasons.

Quarterback Luke Nickel threw for 289 yards and rushed for 119 more in Milton’s 39-37 quarterfinal win over the Packers last season.

Nickel’s top receiver in the game was receiver C.J. Wiley, who also is a Super 11 selection. Wiley had three catches for 46 yards and a touchdown against the Packers.

Another Super 11 quarterback is Carrollton’s Julian Lewis, who hit on 17-of-26 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns in the Trojans 35-27 state semifinal win in the Hawg Pen in 2022.

Colquitt County has tried to corral Lee County Super 11 running back Ousmane Kromah each of the last two seasons.

While the Packers won both games, Kromah ran for 179 yards and two touchdowns last year and carried 20 times for 202 yards and a pair of scores in 2022.

Camden County tight end Elyiss Williams also is a Super 11 selection.

In the Packers 37-16 win over the Wildcats last season, Williams caught four passes for 81 yards and one touchdown.

Colquitt County’s Ny Carr and Landen Thomas were named to the AJC Super 11 in 2023.

Carr is now at Miami and Thomas is at Florida State.