LAKE CHARLES – McNeese All-American linebacker B.J. Blunt and All-Southland Conference punter Alex Kjellsten will have their opportunity to continue their football careers when on Saturday, the two were picked up by NFL teams following the 2019 NFL Draft.
 
Blunt signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent just minutes after the draft ended while Kjellsten received an invite to the Chicago Bears' rookie camp.
 
Blunt, who played two seasons with the Cowboys after transferring from the JUCO ranks, was expected to get drafted anywhere from the fourth to seventh rounds but his name was never called. The hybrid linebacker will report to the Redskins' rookie mini-camp May 3-6 if the organization decides to hold one. If not, he'll report in mid-May with the rest of the rookies, including the 2019 draft class.
 
Kjellsten will report to Chicago's rookie mini-camp May 3-5.
 
Blunt posted a remarkable 2018 season that saw him earn a spot on five All-America teams – Associated Press (1^stteam), Walter Camp (1^st team), AFCA (1^st team), STATS (1^st team), Hero Sports (2^nd team).
 
The New Orleans native was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year as well as All-SLC and All-Louisiana first team honors after he recorded 102 tackles, 11 sacks and 20 tackles for a loss on the year. He participated in the East-West Shrine Classic back in January.
 
Kjellsten, a Lake Charles native, led the conference and ranked seventh in the nation with a 43.81 yards per punt average. That mark set a new single-season school record, breaking the old mark of 43.76 held by Don Stump and set in the 1979 season.
 
He punted 78 times on the season with a long of 66 yards. A total of 26 punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, 27 fair catches, nine touchbacks, and 21 that went for 51 yards or longer.