Bonded by brotherhood, grit: 3 former MJC players have sights set on NFL careers

With collegiate careers in their rearview and glimpses of an NFL future ahead of them, three former Modesto Junior College athletes have their sights set on professional careers.

Wide receiver Jacob DeJesus, cornerback Zelmar Vedder and running back Anthony Frias II have signed contracts as undrafted free agents with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Frias was invited to participate in two minicamps with the Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Since the program’s inception in 1921, the Pirates have sent fewer than a dozen of their players to the professional leagues.

“Most guys, their dream is to play in the NFL,” said Modesto Junior College head coach Rusty Stivers. “To me, just to get into camp and put the jersey on is such a big deal.”

Breaking the mold, Stivers and his coaching staff sent three players from the same Pirates’ team to the NFL.

Jacob DeJesus

DeJesus — who played high school football in Manteca — was overlooked because of his height. A 5-foot-7 frame in a wide receiver is often seen as a disadvantage for many, but not for Stivers.

“When we recruited Jacob, I told Jacob that his Hudl film is the best (that) I’ve ever seen,” said Stivers.

Stivers recruited DeJesus during the pandemic, beginning his college football career in 2021 at Modesto Junior College, where he played for two seasons.

DeJesus went relatively unnoticed by Division I programs across the nation but received an official offer from UNLV on New Year’s Eve in 2022. From there, DeJesus found a new home, suiting up in red and black as a Rebel before transferring to UC Berkeley. There, he raked up a multitude of accolades: Second-team All-ACC, First-team All-ACC — twice.

During his time as a Golden Bear, DeJesus logged 108 receptions for 1,080 yards and six touchdowns across 13 games.

After his standout season at Cal, DeJesus declared for the NFL Draft, showing promise as a receiver but known for his talent on special teams. He signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent at the beginning of May.

“And I think he has a chance to make it because of his special-teams value,” Stivers said.

Zelmar Vedder

Similar to his fellow Pirate, Vedder has his roots in Manteca. However, the 6-foot-3 defensive back suited up for crosstown rival East Union High — a “struggling” program, as Stivers puts it.

Vedder went unrecruited out of high school. Joining Stivers’ program allowed him to become teammates with someone he had once been on opposite sides of the gridiron from. In the defensive back’s only season (and semester) at Modesto Junior College, he had 15 tackles, 200 return yards and four interceptions.

Vedder’s stellar academic performance in high school gave him the opportunity to leave Modesto Junior College early. He committed to Sacramento State, and despite his slow start, redshirting due to injury, he played in 13 games, recording 14 tackles in the 2023 season.

Following three seasons in Sacramento, Vedder made the trek to Texas, enrolling at the University of Houston, where he made an immediate impact, playing 13 games in his only season as a Cougar. Due to his academic performance, Vedder was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team.

After his stint in Texas, Vedder signed a contract as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs.

As fate would have it, Vedder would be reunited with DeJesus just five years after they played together at the small Central Valley community college. This time, they were 2,000 miles away in Arrowhead Stadium.

Anthony Frias II

Despite starting his football career well before his teenage years, Anthony Frias II had few collegiate offers coming out of Turlock High School.

Frias made the decision to enroll at Modesto Junior College — just 17 miles away from his hometown. In his season there, he quickly made an impact, grinding his way through the depth chart.

Averaging 77 yards per game. Leading all California junior college players with 17 rushing touchdowns. Three games with over 100 yards. His accolades were enough to earn an offer from Kansas State.

Frias redshirted his first season with the Wildcats. The next season, he saw minimal time on the field as a running back but was an asset on special teams — recording the second-most overall tackles.

Frias initially had his sights set on the University of Arizona as a preferred walk-on. At the last minute, UCLA offered him a way to fund his education through Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals. The choice was an easy one.

Frias made his way back home to the Golden State, albeit 300 miles farther south. He traded in his purple and white jersey for a gold and blue one.

His first season as a Bruin had an eerily similar feeling to his time as a Wildcat. Frias saw little action as a running back, with most of his talent going to special teams. He eventually saw his role expand on the team, following injuries to other players. In his time at UCLA, he recorded 230 yards.

Frias made a name for himself at UCLA’s pro-day.

While he remains unsigned to a team, Frias got some looks at minicamps with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.

A journeyman’s collegiate career rarely ends with a shot in the big leagues, despite best efforts and intention. Many see their names in local headlines, but the joy of national glory is something unpromised — especially to those with roots in a junior college in the Central Valley.

Modesto Junior College has historically struggled to field players that transferred to Division I schools, let alone the professional level.

Now, Stivers and his staff have the surreal experience of sending three players from the same cohort, bonded by the grit it takes to make a name for yourself and a career out of a small junior college’s relatively unknown football program.

“Oh, you know, that picture is going to cover a whole wall,” Stivers said of the photo taken of DeJesus, Vedder and Frias at the Chiefs minicamp. “It’s just so exciting for all those guys.”