Former South Dakota State quarterback Taryn Christion worked out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The three-time All-American and holder of several Jackrabbit and MVFC passing and total offense records most recently was a part of the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp and took snaps in preseason games, but was a part of the team’s final roster cut on Aug. 31.
Christion went undrafted and signed a free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Initially, the Sioux Falls Roosevelt alumnus was expected to compete to be Russell Wilson’s backup with former Broncos first-round pick Paxton Lynch.
But after just a few hours’ work at the Seahawks’ mini-camp in mid-May, the team cut Christion, as head coach Pete Carroll was unimpressed with one of the FCS’s all-time greats.
Tryout quarterbacks Troy Williams and Michael O’Connor also underwhelmed Carroll at the camp.
“I thought the quarterbacks had a hard time. I thought they struggled with the system and the playcalling,” Carroll said, according to an ESPN report.
“A lot of guys calling the plays for the first time, in the huddles for the first time, under center for the first time. So there was some brand-new experiences, and so they were competing on many levels just to get going. So we’ll take a look at the film now that we get out of camp and see where it all fits.”
Christion chose Seattle over several other teams who called his agent showing interest after the Jackrabbits’ all-time leader in passing and total yards went undrafted.
The Seahawks were one of two teams which paid to fly Christion out to their facilities before the April 25-27 NFL Draft. Christion met offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and the team’s quarterbacks coach for a couple hours to “talk X’s and O’s and get to know each other.”
Christion told KWSN the trip included a 10-second encounter with Carroll.
“Coach Carroll was running around doing something while I was up there,” Christion said. He was all over the building, I noticed. I shook his hand, said ‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ and that was about it. He had to run to another meeting.”
Christion and his personal QB coach Kurtiss Riggs both told KWSN the Seahawks had shown interest in Christion because his style resembled Wilson’s, including his mobility, intelligence, and ability to read defenses and make a wide array of throws.
