BUFFALO, NY - A pair of University at Buffalo football standouts - Mark Graham (Monroe, MI/Monroe) and Adam Johnson (Alta Loma, CA/Etiwanda) - have agreed to terms as free agents with two National Football League franchises.

Adam Johnson and Mark Graham

Graham, a second-team Mid-American Conference selection at free safety last season, signed with the Buffalo Bills, while Johnson, one of the nation's premier long snappers, signed on with the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers.

"We're delighted for both Adam and Mark that they have a chance to continue their football playing careers. They both want to do that very much and they are with two outstanding organizations to develop a professional football career, " said Buffalo head coach Jim Hofher. "Their legacy to UB football is a raised standard of performance at their respective positions."

Graham was a second-team MAC selection despite missing the final two games of his career due to a hip injury. Despite missing those games, Graham still led the Bulls in tackles (84), solo stops (57), quarterback sacks (3) and fumble recoveries (3). In addition, the tri-captain added 6¹/₂ tackles for loss, second on the team, three pass breakups, one interception and three quarterback hurries. His 57 solo tackles this season were eighth most in a season by

Mark Graham

a Bulls defender.

Graham took over a starting role midway through his freshman season and had a team-best 38 straight starts at the time of his injury. The Michigan native is the school's career leader in passes defended (interceptions + pass breakups) with 37 and is fourth all-time in turnovers captured with 15 (12 interceptions and three fumble recoveries). He also finished his career third all-time in solo tackles (182), ninth in total tackles (266) and tied for fourth in interceptions (12). Graham was selected to play in The Villages Gridiron Classic in Florida but had not fully recovered from his hip injury and could not participate.

Johnson, meanwhile, did anything and everything for the Bulls in his career after transferring from Chaffey (CA) Junior College. He played quarterback, tight end and wide receiver on the gridiron and also spent over two seasons as a walk-on with the Bulls' basketball team.

Adam Johnson

In his junior year, however, Johnson started using the talent that would earn him an NFL invitation. He started as a long snapper for the final 24 games of his career and successfully made 202 snaps between punts and field goals. As a senior, he helped placekicker Dallas Pelz (Holland, NY/St. Francis) convert on 14-of-17 field goals and helped the Bulls' punt team cover 20 punts inside the 20-yard line. He also made five tackles on special teams, four of them solos.

After the season, Johnson was accorded the rare honor of being selected to play in the Hula Bowl in Hawaii as a long snapper. During that game former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie noted in ESPN's broadcast that Johnson was one of the best snappers he had seen in a long time.

Graham and Johnson's signings bring the number of former Bulls who have signed NFL contracts to 13 since 1997 and six in Hofher's three seasons. Currently, defensive tackle Omari Jordan (Carolina Panthers), offensive tackle Ed Ellis (New York Giants), offensive tackle David Pruce (New England Patriots) and wide receiver Andre Forde (Chicago Bears) are under contract to NFL clubs. In addition, Drew Haddad is in NFL Europe with Pruce and Forde trying to earn another chance after spending two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.