After a grueling, fourth-month process, Roger Allen can finally breath a deep sigh of relief.

The former Missouri Western guard found out Saturday that he'd survived the final round of cuts and is officially a member of the St. Louis Rams.

"It's a great day for him," Western coach Jerry Partridge said. "He deserves it."

Along with Allen, several local products performed well enough during the preseason to make their respective teams. Former Western tight end Gijon Robinson will be back for another season in Indianapolis, while a pair former Northwest Missouri State players and Benton graduate Martin Rucker also made the 53-man rosters on their respective teams.

The selection was especially sweet for Allen, an undrafted rookie who battled his way onto the St. Louis roster after signing a free-agent contract following the draft. He currently is listed as the No. 2 left guard on the Rams' depth chart behind Jacob Bell and did not return a message from the News-Press.

Partridge, who watched Allen grow from a raw prospect out of Raytown High School, received the good news from Allen himself via text message as he was leaving the field following a victory at Mesa State.

"It's a great opportunity for him, and it's a great day for Missouri Western football," Partridge said. "I'm sure he had some anxiety, but he's a kid of strong faith and knew what happened was going to happen."

Robinson, who caught 19 passes for 166 yards in his rookie season, remains the Colts' backup tight end behind Pro Bowler Dallas Clark and caught three passes this preseason.

Martin Rucker, a former University of Missouri standout tight end, was drafted by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2008 draft but recently slipped to third on the depth chart after injuries hampered him during his rookie season but still made the team. The former Benton Cardinal only caught two passes all of last season but showed signs of a resurgence by catching three passes for 37 yards during the Browns' final preseason game against Chicago.

Among the handful of Bearcats, Xavier Omon of Buffalo appears to factor most prominently into his team's plans. The second-year back looks to be the Bills' No. 2 backfield option while Marshawn Lynch serves a three-game suspension.

During the preseason, Omon carried the ball 29 times for 79 yards and a touchdown while hauling in six catches for 90 yards. In making the team, he beat veteran running back Dominic Rhodes, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards during eight seasons.

Dave Tollefson, a defensive end in his fourth season, remained with the New York Giants for the third consecutive season after racking up 19 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks as a reserve last season.

Three former Bearcats were not as fortunate, however, as Steve Williams, Seth Wand and Tom Pestock did not find their way back onto NFL rosters.

"With all those guys, it's not easy coming out of D-II and making it," Northwest coach Mel Tjeerdsma said. "I'm certainly proud of the efforts they've all put in."

The New England Patriots cut ties with Williams, a defensive tackle who had played in a regular season game since 2006 as a member of Kansas City. The 6-foot-2, 300-pound lineman looked impressive at times during the preseason for the Patriots by notching 16 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks.

Veteran offensive tackle Seth Wand, a 2003 draftee who played parts of six seasons, was not on Oakland's final roster after re-signing with the team early last month. Pestock was among the Colts' final cuts.

A few Mizzou products also learned of their fates Saturday. Offensive lineman Colin Brown, a graduate of Braymer, was placed on the injured reserve list by the Chiefs, while quarterback Chase Daniel found his way onto Washington's practice squad.

Brock Christopher, a former linebacker for the Tigers and Kearney High School before that, was among the final cuts by the New York Jets.