Courtesy of North Carolina Central Athletic Communications
PALMDALE, Calif. – North Carolina Central senior cornerback Bryan Mills officially joined the National Football League (NFL) on Sunday, signing his free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
“It was a surreal moment for me, especially being able to sign to my favorite football team,” Mills said. “I’m still kind of shocked about it all, actually.”
A native of Palmdale, Calif., he will travel just two states north to begin his professional football career.
“Thank you to the Seattle Seahawks organization for giving me an opportunity to play football at the highest level,” he said. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. I have a lot to prove to myself, so I’m going to go out there and prove it every day.”
Mills earned prestigious invitations to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine after he opted out of the 2020 college football season to focus on preparations for the NFL.
During his only season on the gridiron at NCCU, Mills was voted as a 2019 First Team All-MEAC honoree and selected to the AFCA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches’ All-America Team and BOXTOROW All-America Team in his first season at NCCU. He finished the season leading the conference with five interceptions. Mills was also second in the MEAC with 13 pass deflections and tallied 22 tackles.
Also during his junior season in 2019, Mills tied the NCCU record for interceptions in a game with three picks, including two on throws to the end zone to prevent touchdowns, at Morgan State on Sept. 28. For his efforts, Mills earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, BOXTOROW National Player of the Week, and STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week. On Oct. 26, he found himself in the right place at the right time, as he snagged the game-saving, walk-off interception inside the 5-yard line against Delaware State.
