Two University of Maine football players will be attending NFL rookie tryout camp next weekend.

Linebacker Christophe Mulumba Tshimanga has been invited to attend the Tampa Bay camp while tight end Jeremy Salmon will head to the New Orleans Saints’ camp as a long snapper.

UMaine third-team All-American defensive lineman Pat Ricard signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens over the weekend.

Tshimanga led the Black Bears in tackles this season with 97 and was selected to the All-Colonial Athletic Association’s first team for the third time. In 2013, he was the conference’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound Tshimanga averaged 9.7 tackles per game which was second-best in the conference. He had seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He missed one game due to injury.

The Montreal native finished his career with 347 tackles including 118 his freshman year and 95 in 2014.

University of Maine head coach Joe Harasymiak said he anticipates Tshimanga being viewed as a “first and second down run-stopper” and said his strength, ability to shed blockers and tackling ability are his best assets.

Harasymiak said Salmon was originally going to attend a Buffalo Bills rookie camp but Bills General Manager Doug Whaley and the entire scouting staff was fired by owner Terry Pegula so Salmon wound up hooking on with the Saints.

Salmon was the long snapper for punts, extra points and field goal attempts for four years and Harasymiak said his snap times “are NFL-caliber.

“He has a legitimate chance to make it if he can stay consistent,” said Harasymiak.

The 6-foot-3, 265-pound native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania caught 10 passes for 124 yards this past season and concluded his career with 34 receptions for 502 yards.

UMaine women’s soccer player earns academic honor

Kendra Ridley, a junior back and captain of the University of Maine women’s soccer team, has been named the recipient of the UMaine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture high-ranking junior award.

The Ottawa, Ontario native is one of just four students in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture to receive the honor and have a 4.0 grade-point average to date.

Ridley also had an outstanding season on the field this past fall as she was chosen to the All-America East second team and to the All-Academic and All-Tournament teams.