Two former Lincoln University football stars sign in UFL
OAKLAND, Calif. - Lincoln University started their football program in 2020, and they have had seven players sign professional football contracts.
The latest Oaks that put pen to paper are defensive back Amir Riep and defensive lineman Marquise Greenwood.
These two signees became the first players to join the United Football League from Lincoln's football program.
"I just felt like a whole weight just got lifted off my shoulders. [I'm not] going to lie my dreams are coming true" said Greenwood.
"I was pinching myself. I thought it was fake, like to my friend, I was like ‘this feels like a prank,’" said Riep.
Riep's journey to signing with the Memphis Showboats was not smooth sailing.
He was a standout at Ohio State University and was dismissed from the program after being accused of rape.
Riep had to sit out a couple of years, but once he was acquitted in his case, he chose Lincoln University to finish his college career.
"Somebody could use my story of '[Riep] didn't go to a big school. He went to the smallest one of the most unknown schools that nobody even knows about, but he was able to pursue his dream, so why can't I?' It's like being that trailblazer," said Riep.
Greenwood's path to signing with the Arlington Renegades was much different.
Following his college career, he played a full season in the Arena Football league with the Southwest Kansas Storm, where he earned first-team all AFL and led the league in sacks.
He said his ability to have a fast twitch off the line and relentlessness to pursue football will make him stand out in the UFL.
Both players waited a year to sign their contracts, but they are ready to make their marks once training camps roll around in March.
Lincoln head football coach and athletic director Desmond Gumbs believes the more they produce players to make it to the pros will help their program grow and expand.
The Oaks are limited to resources since they don't have their own facility, and they don't have a home stadium.
"Fortunately, we fly to the majority of our games and for some of the closer games, we take buses. We took a bus to Oregon, a bus to Idaho, a bus to Arizona, which was our longest trip. And even a bus to Cal Poly. Our dream is to play in the Oakland Coliseum," said Gumbs.
"We want to be Oakland's team. The idea is we want to build up a fan base, and we don't want to play in an empty stadium. The idea is to build up a fan base and hopefully recruit local students and build it from there," he said.
Riep and Greenwood emphasized how thankful they are to coach Gumbs for keeping his word to get them to the league.