Former Northwest Missouri State wide receiver/returner Shawn Bane Jr. confirmed he has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League following the 2019 NFL Draft on Saturday.
 
Bane Jr. is one of the Bearcats most prolific wide receivers and returners in program history. Bane Jr. ranks No. 3 in school history in punt return average (11.9 yards/return), No. 4 in receiving yards (3,363), No. 5 in receiving touchdowns (31) and No. 6 in receptions (212).
 
He earned second-team all-MIAA honors as a wide receiver in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. He was a first-team all-MIAA selection as a punt returner/kick returner. Bane Jr. was selected as the 2015 MIAA Freshman of the Year.
 
Bane Jr. is only the third Bearcat to ever lead Northwest in receiving yards in four straight seasons (Jason Melnick and Jamaica Rector).
 
In 2018, Bane Jr. started all 13 games and led Northwest in receptions (48), receiving yards (774), touchdown receptions (7), punt returns (17), punt return yards (277), punt returns for touchdowns (2), kick returns (16), kick return yards (304) and all-purpose yards (1,374).