Three Cavaliers sign as NFL free agents

By Jerry Ratcliffe

A trio of undrafted Virginia football players have signed free agent contracts with NFL teams.

Charles Snowden, one of the most dynamic defensive players for Bronco Mendenhall’s squad the past four years, has signed with the Chicago Bears. Before suffering a broken leg in the Abilene Christian game late in the season, Snowden had risen to No. 15 on UVA’s all-time quarterback sacks list with 15. He also recorded 30.5 tackles for loss, 191 combined tackles and two interceptions as an outside linebacker.

Tight end Tony Poljan, who was a graduate transfer from Central Michigan, joined the Cavaliers for only one season, but made it count. Poljan, who was UVA’s second-leading receiver in 2020 with 38 catches for 411 yards and six touchdowns, has signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens.

At 6-foot-7, Poljan was a popular target for Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong. In only one season as a Cavalier, Poljan finished eight on UVA’s career touchdown catches list for a tight end. He also finished seventh in the country among tight ends with his 38 receptions.

Meanwhile, yet another transfer, defensive back D’Angelo Amos, who came to UVA last year from James Madison University, has signed with the Detroit Lions.

Amos, who was a grad transfer, played in all 10 of the Cavaliers’ games last season, starting five. Before he arrived in Charlottesville, Amos was a first-team FCS All-American with the Dukes, where he started all 15 games in 2019.