Dec. 10, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. - UMass' second all-time leading rusher Steve Baylark was signed to the Denver Broncos practice squad on Wednesday. Baylark most recently was with the Arizona Cardinals in training camp and for all of the 2007 season on the team's practice squad. Baylark was a two-time All-American at UMass.

Baylark is the fourth UMass player to be a part of the NFL this season as James Iheidgbo (New York Jets) and Brandon London (Miami Dolphins) are on active rosters while Matt Lawrence has been on the practice squad with the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks.

Baylark was a Don Hansen and Sports Network I-AA/FCS Second Team All-American in addition to being named the A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2006. He played in the East-West Shrine Game after gaining 1,960 yards as a senior. The senior captain tailback became the third player in Division I-AA history to have four 1,000-yard seasons. He joined Jerry Azumah (New Hampshire, 1995-98) and Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern 1996-99). Six players have done it in Division I-A. In his career, he gained 5332 yards on 1104 carries, both second to Shipp, who had 6250 yards on 1215 carries from 1997-2000.

Here is the Broncos' official release

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos on Wednesday signed free-agent tight end Jeb Putzier to their active roster and waived safety Herana-Daze Jones (pronounced Hernandez), Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

The club also on Wednesday signed running back Steve Baylark to its practice squad.

Putzier (6-foot-4, 251 pounds) is a seventh-year player who begins his second stint with the Broncos, having played for the club from 2002-05 after Denver selected him in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft from Boise State University. He saw time in six games (1 start) with Seattle this year before he was waived on Nov. 26 and also spent two years with Houston from 2006-07.

In 67 career games (17 starts), Putzier has totaled 96 receptions for201,251 yards (13.0 avg.) with three touchdowns. He also has appeared in three career postseason games, posting 10 receptions for 159 yards (15.9 avg.) with one touchdown.

Putzier played in all 16 games for the Broncos during two consecutive seasons from 2004-05. He had a career-high 572 receiving yards (36 rec., 15.9 avg., 2 TDs) for Denver in 2004 and registered a personal-best 37 receptions (481 yds., 13.0 avg.) for the Broncos' 2005 team that won the AFC West title.

An All-Western Athletic Conference selection as a senior at Boise State, Putzier finished his collegiate career with 128 receptions for 2,050 yards (16.0 avg.) with 19 touchdowns. He attended Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho, and was born on Jan. 20, 1979.

Baylark (6-foot-0, 226 pounds) is a first-year player who most recently competed in training camp with Arizona, which waived him on Aug. 30. Baylark spent his entire rookie season in 2007 on the Cardinals' practice squad after entering the NFL with the club as a college free agent from the University of Massachusetts.

At UMass, Baylark became just the third Division I-AA player to post four 1,000-yard rushing seasons. A second-team All-American as a senior, Baylark finished his collegiate career with 1,104 carries for 5,332 yards (4.8 avg.) with 42 touchdowns.

Baylark, who attended Apopka High School in Apopka, Fla., was born on July 28, 1983.