Former University of Maine football standouts Justin Perillo and Trevor Bates have earned spots with NFL teams.
Bates, a seventh-round pick in May, was cut by the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday but was named to their practice squad on Sunday, and Perillo has kept his spot on the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster.
Bates, a Westbrook native who played defensive end at UMaine, was moved to outside linebacker with the Colts.
Bates’ versatility to also play inside linebacker may have influenced the decision to keep him with the Colts on their practice squad. He played in all four of their preseason games and made six tackles.
Perillo is beginning his third season with the Packers after spending most of his first season on the practice squad and playing in nine games last year.
His stock with the Packers rose during the preseason as he received extra reps in practice while No. 2 tight end Jared Cook recovered from foot surgery.
Last season, Perillo made 11 catches for 102 yards and scored his first career touchdown, an 11-yard hookup with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in an 18-16 loss to Detroit on Nov. 15.
“Just do the same thing I did last year: come in every day and work hard,” Perillo said in a packers.com report. “When the opportunities present themselves, just make them. Be a good teammate and try to make as many plays as possible.”
Perillo is from Wilmington, Delaware, and was signed as a free agent by the Packers in 2014.
Both the Packers and Colts open on Sunday when the Packers visit the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Colts host the Detroit Lions.