After the pomp and circumstance of the National Football League Draft came to a conclusion, phones continued to ring, as teams looked to sign undrafted free agents. The phone of three former Cerritos College football players rang, as defensive linemen Kyle Peko and David Moala both signed with the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, while running back Elijhaa Penny was signed by the Arizona Cardinals.

Penny (pictured, left)spent just one season with the Falcons (2013) and was named 1st Team All-American, 1st Team All-State Region IV and the Northern Conference Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,338 yards on 199 carries (6.7 average) and 20 touchdowns. He played sparingly at College of the Sequoias as a freshman and 2011 and was a red-shirt at Orange Coast College in 2012. He ran for 262 yards and four touchdowns against Palomar College, which are both the second most in a game in school history and had seven 100-yard rushing games during the season.

After such an eye-opening sophomore season with the Falcons, Penny signed with the University of Idaho, where he became their leading rusher both seasons. He ran for 589 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior and followed that with 1,159 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior to earn All-Sun Belt Conference recognition. A versatile back, Penny finished with 1.533 all-purpose yards, which included 239 receiving yards and 135 kickoff yards.

"Not only is Elijhaa an exceptional football player, he's also a phenomenal person," said Falcons offensive coordinator Dean Grosfeld. "Having a guy like Elijhaa in the backfield made things much easier for the coaches. We had a new quarterback (Cody Clements), who was in his first year with us, and even though so was Elijhaa, it was almost an automatic call to give him the ball. We were very comfortable with him in the backfield. Elijhaa is a great athlete, a great blocker and he can hurt you out there. I think his style of physical play suits him very well in the NFL and with the Cardinals."

It's rare to have two players who were teammates at a community college and play the same position end up signing undrafted free agent contracts with the same NFL team. That's the case with both Peko and Moala, although they have both played nose guard and defensive tackle.

Teammates for just one season (2012), the two were dominant on the Falcons defensive line. Both were 1st Team all-conference selections, with Moala (pictured, left) earning All-State recognition both years. Peko, a cousin of former Falcons All-American offensive lineman Tupe Peko, who played for the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts, was voted the team's MVP on defense, as well as their Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman after posting 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Moala, who transferred from Arizona State University, was second on the team with 55 tackles as a sophomore, as well as four sacks and eight tackles for loss and earned all of the same awards as Peko.

Peko signed with Oregon State University, where he sat out his junior year and then had a dominant senior season. He was named Honorable Mention All-PAC 12 after finished with 45 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks for the Beavers. Moala, a two-time Academic All-Mountain West Conference selection at Utah State University, recorded 58 stops, with 14 tackles for loss, five sacks and had two forced fumbles and blocked kicks his senior season. He was named All-Mountain West Conference as a nose guard.

"Both of those guys have the instincts to play those positions, which you can't always coach," stated Cerritos defensive coordinator Tom Caines. "We were very fortunate to have two guys come into our program at about the same time that were very impactful for our program. It says that we're recruiting the right players and preparing them for the next level. Both of them improved on playing at a better pad level, which is important to succeed in the NFL. They're both exceptional players and people. Both David and Kyle are competitors and when the lights come on, they're ready to go."

Said Falcon head coach Frank Mazzotta, "They're getting a shot, which is the first step. We strive to do our best to bring in the best guys... the right guys... to fit into our program. We were very fortunate to have two of those guys come from other programs and we were ready to help get them ready."

"Elijhaa is a special guy," added Mazzotta. "He's a big guy (245 pounds) who can run and is going to a program with old-school coaches. Elijhaa plays like and old-school back, so I  think that suits him very well. David is a big and very strong guy, and Kyle is a little more athletic. They have all worked very hard to get this opportunity and I'm very proud of them and their accomplishments. It says a lot about this level of football when JC guys are hanging around in the NFL and having good careers."