27 Mormons on NFL rosters

Week 1 of the regular-season schedule is under way, and Mormon Times counts 27 Latter-day Saints on NFL team rosters.

Among the most notable names are Baltimore tight end Todd Heap

and nose tackle Haloti Ngata, San Diego safety Eric Weddle and

linebacker Derek Smith, Philadelphia receiver Kevin Curtis, Pittsburgh

defensive end Brett Keisel, Green Bay linebacker Brady Poppinga and

Chicago offensive lineman John Tait.

Heap, who played college ball at Arizona State, is in his eighth

season with the Ravens. He has started in 82 of the 88 professional

games he has played and is a two-time Pro Bowl selection. His teammate,

Ngata, has started every game the past two seasons since being a

first-round draft pick out of Oregon.

Weddle, a versatile second-year pro from the University of Utah,

will start at free safety for the Chargers this season, while Smith,

who attended Snow College and Arizona State, gets the starting nod at

inside linebacker in his 12th season. Former Nebraska defensive lineman

Ryon Bingham is the Chargers' primary backup on the defensive line.

Curtis, a former walk-on at Utah State, is coming off a

1,000-yard receiving season with the Eagles. The South Jordan, Utah,

native and returned missionary, however, is currently sidelined with a

hernia.

Two former Cougars, Keisel and Poppinga, return as defensive

starters for their respective teams. Keisel had 39 tackles and two

sacks last year, while Poppinga had 50 tackles and an interception in

2007. Another BYU alumnus, Tait, is entering his 10th season in the