Former Flyer Chisholm hoping for NFL ‘opportunity’

Alter High School product Matt Ruffolo, a kicker from the University of Kentucky, also was among the participants.

“The hope for me is any opportunity,” Chisholm said after the workout. “This was the first step, and I’m very grateful and excited to have been here at the local day and I’m hoping that I get another opportunity either with the Bengals or another team that would want to give me a chance.”

Dayton has only sent one player to the NFL since the 1970s, but when the New Orleans Saints selected tight end Adam Trautman in the third round of the 2020 draft, it gave players like Chisholm hope they could also make it.

Trautman has played in 43 games with 28 starts over the past three seasons. Chisholm is likely a candidate as an undrafted college free agent but said he just needs an opportunity to show up in training camp.

“Absolutely Adam getting drafted sparked a lot of guys’ interest in playing at the next level,” Chisholm said. “At Dayton we know that we’ve got some good players and he was kind of an example of a leader that went on and has been successful in the league and has given guys’ that spark to think that they can go on and play.”

A first-team All-Pioneer Football League pick in 2022, Chisholm led the conference with 1,064 yards rushing (95.5 yards per game) and produced a team-high 17 total touchdowns. He was fifth in the Football Championship Series in rushing attempts with 236 carries and also caught 22 passes for 253 yards.

The 5-foot-9, 191-pound running back said the experience Tuesday at Paycor Stadium, although a brief, 30-minute session, was a good one. He was able to show some of his versatility in running back drills and catching some passes from former Ryle teammate Morgan Tanner, a quarterback from Minnesota. Chisholm played special teams in college, too, and could fill a role that way for any team that takes a chance on him in the NFL.

“It was awesome,” said Chisholm, who grew up a Bengals fan. “It was tremendous. It’s something you dream of as a little kid to get the opportunity to come out and play some football in a big NFL stadium like this. It was awesome.”

“Once we got out there and started warming up it was just football,” he added. “Just going out there and catching some balls and doing some drill work, doing the same stuff I’ve been doing since I was a little kid.”

Ruffolo, a 2017 graduate of Alter, has a similar mindset to Chisholm’s. After walking on at Kentucky and earning a scholarship as a junior in 2019, he ended up staying for six years and finished at No. 5 on the Wildcats’ all-time scoring list after making 42 of 56 field goals and 119 of 126 extra points (245 total points).

Toward the end of his college career, Ruffolo decided to give it a go at turning pro. After a strong Pro Day, he felt confident he could earn an opportunity, and the Bengals’ workout was another chance to show what he can do.

“Obviously the goal is to make the league, but for me, I just want a shot, just like how at Kentucky they gave me a chance,” Ruffolo said. “You know, if I get a chance with a team, I’m gonna make the most of it. I think that’s just the walk-on spirit, walk-on work ethic.”

Ruffolo said he’s followed Bengals kicker Evan McPherson since the two of them met when McPherson was at Florida, and the biggest thing he’s learned from him is just the need to stay confident. He tried to take that mentality into his workout Tuesday, though there were some nerves at first, and it ended up being “a really good day.”

“We got here early, a little chilly, but other than that, I was hitting the ball really nice and high,” Ruffolo said. “I had some really good field goals, didn’t have too many opportunities on kickoffs, but that makes sense because the whole field is taken, but other than that, I hit the ball pretty well. … It’s just like a really cool experience because you know, I never would have thought going to Kentucky that I was ever gonna get a shot at the NFL.”