Packers Claim South Dakota Native, NDSU Alum Off Waivers

The Green Bay Packers like all NFL teams this time of year are churning the bottom of the roster in the hopes of finding hidden gems.

On Thursday, the Packers added another South Dakota native (joining Tucker Kraft) to the roster, claiming veteran pass rusher Spencer Waege off of Waivers from the 49ers.

Waege, who is originally from South Shore, South Dakota, prepped at Watertown High School and played his college football at North Dakota State.

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Per ProFootballTalk:

The Packers claimed defensive lineman Spencer Waege off waivers Thursday.

The 49ers waived Waege on Wednesday.

Waege originally signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2023.

It's another big chance for Waege to prove he belongs in the NFL with a new team. Waege has yet to play in an NFL regular season contest.

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During his time at North Dakota State, he garnered First-Team All-America honors from multiple outlets and was a vote recipient for that year's Buck Buchanan Defensive Player of the Year award nationally.

Let's hope Waege can stick around with the Packers this Spring, and perhaps into the Summer and Fall. If he does, the Packers have an outside shot at gaining a ton of popularity for their South Dakota ties here in the Mount Rushmore State.

The Packers full schedule will be announced next Wednesday, but the team officially opens the regular season in Sao Paolo, Brazil against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 6th.

Sources: Pro Football Talk - NBC Sports and GoBison.com

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.