South Dakota Mines senior offensive tackle Jack Batho IV signed  an NFL free agent contract Saturday night with the Atlanta Falcons He didn't get his name called in the NFL Draft, but Batho quickly was contacted by the Falcons to join the organization.

Batho, a 6-foot-8 308-pounder from Omaha,, Neb., was able to participate in the Hula Bowl Jan. 31 in Honolulu, and Batho has been on the radar of NFL scouts for a while. The two-time team captain had scouts from both the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions at his Pro Day in late March.

He said that his Pro Day was a "humbling experience," and that it was "an honor to bring that opportunity to our school, having the ability to bring some scouts in and hopefully be that first stepping stone to get some more guys chances in the future. If nothing else happens from [it], I can hang my hat on that I brought some scouts to South Dakota Mines."