photo by: Nick Krug

Lawrence High Lineman Amani Bledsoe has been named Sunflower League MVP.

Former Lawrence High football standout Amani Bledsoe will get another shot in the NFL in 2020 after signing a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bledsoe, who starred at LHS from 2013-15 and went on to play three years of college football at Oklahoma from 2016-18, spent last season on the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad and was waived by the franchise on July 26 after spending the 2020 offseason with the team.

He signed with Cincinnati late last week and reports out of Cincinnati have indicated that Bledsoe was signed by the Bengals to add to the franchise’s depth along the defensive line, which welcomed three new faces in a four-day span last week.

Bledsoe’s chances of getting a second season in the NFL recently increased when the NFL pushed the number of players allowed on each team’s practice squad from 10 to 16.

Also included in the change was a set salary of $8,400 per week or $134,400 for a 16-game season for practice squad players who stick with their teams despite not making the 53-man roster.

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive end finished his Oklahoma career with 59 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, and four sacks. He was an all-Big 12 honorable mention pick by league coaches following the 2018 season.

Prior to his time with the Sooners, Bledsoe was a four-star recruit and ranked 122nd overall in the country — and No. 2 in Kansas — by Rivals.com.

During his senior season at LHS, Bledsoe dominated on both sides of the ball, recording 89 tackles and 11 sacks on defense, while adding 48 pancake blocks on the offensive line.

He was named the Sunflower League’s Most Valuable Player and won the Buck Buchanan Award given annually to the most outstanding lineman/linebacker in the Kansas City metro area.