VANCOUVER – It's an historic day for UBC Thunderbirds Football as both Giovanni Manu and Theo Benedet have been named to their respective NFL team's 53-man rosters.

The first Thunderbird selected in the NFL Draft in 2024, Manu had his name called by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round, 126^th overall.

Just moments after the 2024 Draft concluded, fellow offensive lineman Theo Benedet signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears and spent last season on the team's practice roster.

Both Benedet and Manu now have the very real possibility of becoming the fourth and fifth UBC Thunderbirds to ever appear in a regular season NFL game, joining Bill Crawford (OL – New York Giants), Brant Bengen (WR – Seattle), and offensive tackle Dakoda Shepley (San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas).

Adding to the intrigue is this year's NFL schedule itself which pits the two historic franchises against each other in week two when the Bears visit Detroit on Sunday, September 14.