Former Mountain View High School and Arizona standout receiver Stanley Berryhill III signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions in the “mid-six-figure range” on Saturday, according to Derek Hall, managing partner of HD Sports Agency, of which Berryhill is a client.
Berryhill was activated to the 53-player roster before last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins, and he was again activated for Sunday’s home game with the Green Bay Packers.
His signing Saturday will keep him on the active roster. If he is released, he is required to pass through waivers. That means he is not immediately a free agent, but his contract can be claimed by any other NFL team.
Berryhill is also a special-teams performer as a returner and gunner. The Lions’ special teams coordinator is David Fipp, a former Arizona player who was with the Wildcats when Hall was on the team in the late 1990s.
The odyssey for Berryhill since the spring after the NFL draft:
— Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons and was one of the last players let go on the day the Falcons determined their 53-man roster on Aug. 30.
— Signed to the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad on Sept. 20. The Cardinals then removed him on Oct. 18 with the hopes of re-signing him after making player moves.
— Signed to the Lions’ practice squad on Oct. 19. The Lions, decimated by injuries at the receiver position. swooped in to claim Berryhill.
— Added to the 53-man roster for Detroit on Oct. 27. Although he did not take part in an offensive play last week against Miami, he was one of the team’s starting gunners on special teams.
The signing of Berryhill and the addition of Brandon Zylstra from the practice squad on Saturday adds depth to a banged-up wide receiver group. The Lions now have six able receivers to play against the Packers.
Starter Josh Reynolds is doubtful for the game with a back injury.
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator five years ago and is presently a special education teacher at Gallego Fine Arts Intermediate in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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