SPRINGFIELD – A pair of Missouri State football standouts, Malik Earl and Erik Furmanek, have made steps toward their respective NFL dreams with post-draft activity this week.
 
Earl, a 6-foot-3, 217-pound wide receiver has signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys, and Furmanek, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound tight end, will have a rookie minicamp tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs.
 
Earl was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection in 2017. He started all 11 games at wide receiver, leading the Bears with 56 receptions—good for seventh all-time in a season at Missouri State—and 774 yards while hauling in three TD receptions. The co-captain from Oklahoma City ranked third among all Valley receivers in catches and fourth in receiving yards during the regular season. Earl, an honorable mention All-MVFC pick in 2016, finished his MSU career second on the Bears' all-time receptions (147) list and fourth on the school's receiving yardage (1,962) chart.
 
"It's definitely a dream come true," said Earl. "I've been so even keel all week, and it really hasn't hit me yet. It feels surreal. To get a chance to experience something I've dreamed about since I was six-years-old – something I've wanted more than anything else – I'm ready to get down there and compete."
 
He will report to Dallas for rookie minicamp on May 10.
 
As a priority free agent, Earl noted that he also received a signing bonus from the Cowboys and will immediately begin participating in the team's off-season training regimen.
 
Furmanek, a three-time MVFC Academic Honor Roll member and an honorable mention MVFC All-Academic Team pick for the second year in a row, started 10 games at tight end for MSU in 2017 as a senior. He finished as the Bears' second-leading receiver with 30 receptions for 444 yards and two touchdowns. The Belleville, Ill., product posted three different five-catch performances, including a career-best 91-yard afternoon in the Bears' season opener at Missouri, in which he hauled in a career-long 64-yard catch to help the Bears record their best-ever offensive day ever against an FBS foe.
 
"It feels great to have this opportunity," said Furmanek. "Two or three years ago, I never would have dreamed I could achieve this. I just want the opportunity to prove myself and give it everything I have."
 
Furmanek will head to Kansas City on Friday for the three-day minicamp.