ROGERS — It only takes a few clicks of the keyboard for Rogers High offensive line coach Rob Bray to put one of his favorite photos on the desktop of his computer.
It’s an old photo too. Pushing eight years.
It’s a picture of the Mounties offensive line taken during the 2005 season. It’s also a one of a kind in Mounties football history, and a picture that may never be repeated at Rogers.
On one end of the picture is then sophomore Mounties offensive tackle Jake Byrne. At the other end is then junior offensive tackle Lee Ziemba.
Little did Bray know at the time that both players would go onto play in the National Football League.
“At the time, Jake was just a big old boy that could move,” Bray said. “He was just learning how to be physical.”
Byrne was switched from tackle to defensive end and then tight end at Rogers and he went on to play tight end at Wisconsin.
Ziemba was drafted after a four-year starting career at Auburn by Carolina in 2011 and played for the Panthers before being released. He was picked up by Indianapolis but waived by the Colts last week.
Byrne’s road to an NFL roster included two tries before finally earning a roster spot. Byrne (6-foot-4, 258 pounds) signed first as a free agent out of college with New Orleans and then by Houston. Byrne didn’t make either roster but the former Mounties player was recently picked up by the San Diego Chargers. He has been assigned to the practice squad.
Each NFL team may keep up to eight players on its practice squad in addition to the 53-member main roster. Players on the practice squad earn at least $6,000 a week during the regular season and during the playoffs if their team advances.
If a practice squad player is added to the active roster, they must be paid the league minimum for rookies of $405,000. Making the list of 53 is Byrne’s goal.
It won’t be easy.
Byrne must learn a new offensive system with new coaches and teammates starting a week before the season opener.
“They brought me on the practice squad to learn the offense,” Byrne said. “It’s kind of like being a red-shirt, seeing how things roll. Obviously, with it being an NFL team, it’s a complicated offense. Eventually, I hope in turns into a spot on the roster.”
Former Rogers coach Ronnie Peacock said he knew back in 2005 that Byrne had a chance to extend his football career beyond high school. Byrne played on the offensive and defensive lines before settling into a tight end role his senior season at Rogers.
“When you looked at Jake back then, you think ‘wow’,” Peacock said. “Back then, we played him where we needed him most. Sometimes I would flip it where Lee and Jake would be on the same side. It was obvious which side we were going to, but opponents still had to stop it. That was a good duo.”
Having been with the Chargers since Sept. 1, Byrne has little time for anything but football. His daily regimen consists of practice, film study and working out. And then there is more film study.
“I’m studying a lot of film to get the hang of how everything works,” Byrne said. “We will meet with our position coach, and the other tight ends are helping out, too.”
Some of Byrne’s practice time is also spent preparing the Chargers first team defense for games.
“I’m also getting a lot of scout team reps to get the team ready,” Byrne said.
After being waived by the Texans, Byrne said he was confident that another NFL team would call after staying with Houston until the finals cuts. Byrne played in four games with the Texans, including one start.
After he was released, it didn’t take long for that call to come.
“I had a great preseason,” Byrne said. “I was signed by the Texans in December and it was a great experience. Great organization and there are a lot of things I can take away from that experience. They really helped me develop into a better player. Then San Diego gave me a call, they had released one of their tight ends, and I headed out here right after that.”
Byrne played his college football at Wisconsin for now Arkansas coach Bret Bielema but went undrafted in 2012 but was signed as a free agent by New Orleans. That didn’t work but that experience only made Byrne more determined.
“I knew what I wanted to do, it was just how was I going to get there,” Byrne said. “I just kept working because a lot about the NFL is being in the right place at the right time.”
The right place may be now.