Former Football: Ex-Cajun Hamilton signs with NFL’s Eagles

Tim Buckley, The Advertiser, Jan. 23, 2017

The Philadelphia Eagles on Monday signed former UL defensive lineman Justin Hamilton to a reserve/futures contract.

The Eagles announced the signing via Twitter.

The undrafted Hamilton – a product of Natchez High in Natchez, Mississippi – played his final season with the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2014.

He went to training camp with the Buffalo Bills in 2015, and was on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad for a couple weeks later in the 2015 season.

Since November of 2015 he’s been on and off the practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks, but has not yet played in a regular-season NFL game.

A reserve/futures contract means the signee will be added to the roster when it expands from 53 to 90 players in March, and he cannot be signed by another team during that time.

According to Philly.com, the Eagles had “a spot on their defensive line because they’re converting Taylor Hart from defensive tackle to offensive tackle.”

Hamilton was an All-Sun Belt Conference pick in 2014, and he played on all four of UL’s 9-4 New Orleans Bowl-winning teams from 2011-14.

The NFL season for two other ex-Cajuns, meanwhile, came to a close Sunday, one win shy of a trip to the Super Bowl.

Defensive lineman Christian Ringo, Hamilton’s roommate at UL, was inactive for the Packers’ playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and tight end Ladarius Green was inactive for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the New England Patriots while dealing with a lingering concussion.

Hamilton, Ringo two of a kind on, off the field for Cajuns

Ringo was on Green Bay’s practice squad in 2015.

He made his NFL debut this year and had two tackles in nine games this season, including one playoff game.

Green spent four seasons with the San Diego Chargers from 2011-15.

He signed a four-year, $20 million deal with Pittsburgh last March, but was limited to six games this season following offseason ankle surgery and due to his concussion issues.