Two prominent Saint Ignatius alumni will receive a shot in the NFL. 

Zack Ryan '12 and Kevin Kavalec '13, both former members of the vaunted 2011 Saint Ignatius defense, will have tryouts with two NFL teams.

Ryan, a Ball State graduate, will tryout for the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan starred at linebacker for the Cardinals for four seasons. 

Kavalec, a soon-to-be Boston College alum, will tryout for the Kansas City Chiefs. Kavalec played an important role for the Eagles at defensive end.

Both Ryan and Kavalec won a state championship with the Wildcats in 2011, each starting for the blue and gold. The two defenders played a key role in helping the Wildcats roll to six straight wins to the program's 11th state title. Ryan earned Most Valuable Linebacker honors for the Wildcats, while Kavalec was All-Ohio in both football and track and field. 

Ryan enjoyed a successful career for Ball State, starting for four seasons and anchoring the team's linebacker core. Called "undersized" by some, Ryan plays above and beyond his 5'11", 220-pound frame. A film nut, Ryan wins with his mind and his heart on the field, making the most of his talent. 

Zack is the brother of Jake Ryan '10, currently a star linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. Read a great feature on Ryan and his family here. Their older brother, Connor, also played football at Ball State. 

Kavalec thrived at Boston College, breaking out for a great senior season at defensive end. The Middleburg Heights native notched 50 tackles, including 13.5 tackles-for-loss, in 12 starts 2016. The defensive end earned Academic All-America honors, becoming just the third Eagle in school history to do so. 

Kavalec also received the prestigious Scanlan Award, the highest honor for a Boston College football player. Read more on Kavalec's honor here. 

Congratulations to both Zack and Kevin on taking their first steps to professional success. Good luck to both on their tryouts!