CBS Airs Special Premiere of NFL Series UNDRAFTED Tonight

The Emmy-nominated series Undrafted returns to NFL Network for a second season with a special premiere on CBS tonight, September 16 at 10:00 PM ET. The special on CBS includes an extended peek at the new NFL Network series, Football Town: Barrow, Alaska.

Undrafted premieres on NFL Network Tuesdays at 8:00 PM, ET beginning September 22 through November 3, with a special encore presentation of each of the eight episodes Thursday following the Thursday Night Football postgame show.

Every year, thousands of COLLEGE FOOTBALL players leave school with dreams of a career in the National Football League. Of those thousands, 256 players are selected in the NFL Draft. The remaining - the Undrafted - must convince coaches, executives, and the pro football community that they deserve a coveted roster spot on an NFL team.

All eight episodes of Undrafted tell the stories of players who were undrafted and are currently working to make their dream of playing the NFL a reality. The following players are profiled this season on Undrafted (Click links below to view an embeddable clip on each athlete):

· George Farmer - WR from USC

· Cole Jaeschke - QB from Upper Iowa University

· Harold Legania - DT from University of Minnesota

· Chad Toocheck - WR from University of West Alabama

· Troy Torrence - WR from St. Francis University

· Brandon Wegher - RB from Morningside College

Undrafted goes inside the lives and tells the inspirational stories of these athletes as they try to fulfill their football dreams. The series follows the players on and off-the-field as they prepare and perform in the NFL's Regional Combines (an alternative showcase for lesser-known college players) and their schools' respective Pro days. These events that have taken on greater importance in recent years as numerous Undrafted players -- including SUPER BOWL XLIX hero Malcolm Butler (New England Patriots) -- have earned important roles on pro rosters.

In its first season in 2014, Undrafted was nominated for a Sports Emmy in the prestigious "Best Documentary Series" category. In season two, which debuts in primetime on CBS on Sept. 16, Undrafted again dives deep into the powerful human stories of under-the-radar football dreamers, providing a compelling glimpse into the world of talented athletes facing nearly impossible odds in pursuit of an NFL career. Among the highlights from Season Two:

Inspiring stories of redemption

Meet running back Brandon Wegher, who abruptly walked away from a starting spot at the University of Iowa and left a trail of controversy that continues to dog him (and complicate his comeback) to this very day. There's also the story of Chad Toocheck, a wide receiver from tiny University of West Alabama (alma mater of Malcolm Butler). Now 26, Toocheck is making his first (and likely final) attempt at an NFL career after struggling for years from drug and substance addiction in the suburbs of Ohio. Now sober for nearly seven years, Chad faces an uphill battle as he fights to realize his dreams, but continues to draw inspiration from his mother - and well as from Butler, his friend and former teammate with whom he trains during intense sessions in rural Alabama.

Intense tales of sacrifice

Chicago native Troy Torrence (Wide Receiver - St Francis University) balances a full academic workload in pursuit of an accounting degree - but what truly drives him is a long-shot opportunity to impress scouts in one of the NFL's regional combines. Across the country, small-college quarterback Cole Jaeschke (Upper Iowa State University) has chosen to leave his life, friends, family, and relationship behind and live in total isolation in a small town outside of Minneapolis. The objective: Total focus of all his energy on the necessary preparations to out-perform the competition at the regional combine.

Compelling snapshots of family and dedication

Wide receiver George Farmer (USC) struggled with an ACL injury his junior year of college - a setback that ends many careers. Undaunted, Farmer - whose father George Sr. played for several years in the NFL - is determined to convince the football community that he is ready to come back to the gridiron. On other side of the ball, defensive tackle Harold Legania (University of Minnesota) is fueled by the memories of a father he tragically lost to cancer at a young age. Harold's balancing act with everyday life, working a full-time job, and rigorous training for an impossible dream proves overwhelming for him at times - but it's a battle he does not intend to lose.

Undrafted is co-produced by NFL Network in association with Mandalay Sports Media, DG West and Indigenous Films.

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