After missing the 2022 NFL season, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross scored a touchdown in his first pro appearance on Sunday.

The former Central-Phenix City star caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Shane Buechele with 6:02 left in the third quarter of an NFL preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.

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Ross had two receptions for 29 yards in Sunday’s contest, which the Saints won 26-24 with a field goal on the final snap at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

In Sunday’s other NFL preseason game, Las Vegas scored 17 points on three consecutive second-half possessions even though the Raiders gained only 40 yards on those series to pull away to a 34-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Ross joined the Chiefs as an undrafted rookie last year. But he spent the entire season on injured reserve after having foot surgery in July 2022.

The foot surgery was not for a new injury but a follow-up to an operation that Ross had in November 2021. Ross missed Clemson’s final three games of the 2021 season because of a foot injury.

At Central-Phenix City, Ross earned ASWA first-team All-State recognition in 2016 and 2017 after being a second-team pick in 2015. As a senior, Ross caught 37 passes for 730 yards and 13 touchdowns and returned 14 punts for a 27.4-yard average and two touchdowns.

As a freshman at Clemson in 2018, Ross had 46 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. He capped the campaign by catching six passes for 153 yards and one touchdown in the Tigers’ 44-16 victory over Alabama in the CFP national championship game.

At that point, Ross seemed a can’t-miss NFL prospect. But after he caught 66 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019, doctors diagnosed Ross with the spinal condition Klippel-Feil syndrome. He had surgery in an attempt to fix the problem and missed the 2020 season.

Ross returned to the field to catch 46 passes for 514 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games for Clemson in 2021.

Ross’ injury history prompted Kansas City coach Andy Reid to say after Sunday’s game: “And he came out healthy, right? So that’s a positive thing.”

Fifteen other players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field in the NFL’s two preseason games on Sunday:

New Orleans Saints 26, Kansas City Chiefs 24

· Saints wide receiver Kawaan Baker (South Alabama) had two receptions for 30 yards, including a 24-yarder.

· Saints offensive tackle Scott Lashley (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Saints safety Smoke Monday (Auburn) made two tackles in his first pro game.

· Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (Samford) completed 5-of-12 passes for 52 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and had a 30-yard run. The fourth quarterback to play for Kansas City on Sunday, Oladokun handled the final three series for the Chiefs’ offense. The first was a 13-play, 72-yard drive for a field goal as Kansas City took a 24-17 lead with 6:17 to play. The second was a three-and-out. On Oladukun’s final snap, he threw an interception with 58 seconds to play. After botching its 2-point conversion following a touchdown with 1:20 remaining, New Orleans took advantage of the turnover at the Kansas City 22-yard line to win on a 31-yard field goal by Blake Grupe as time expired in the undrafted rookie kicker’s first pro game.

· Chiefs running back La’Mical Perine (Theodore) gained 24 yards on six rushing attempts.

· Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) had surgery on July 25 to repair a partially torn meniscus. Kansas City hopes to have him back by the season-opening game on Sept. 7.

· Chiefs offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho (Edgewood Academy, Auburn) did not record any stats.

· Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (Hueytown) completed 11-of-13 passes for 92 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and ran for 14 yards on two carries. Winston has come out of the preseason as New Orleans’ No. 1 QB the past two years, but in 2023, he’s preparing to back up offseason-signing Derek Carr. Winston connected with rookie wide receiver A.T. Perry for a 29-yard touchdown on his first series and produced a field goal on the second as the Saints took a 17-0 lead with 13:45 left in the first half.

Las Vegas Raiders 34, San Francisco 49ers 7

· Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (Homewood) ran for 22 yards on five carries, caught a 4-yard pass, returned two punts for 12 yards and ran back a kickoff 13 yards.

· Forty-Niners cornerback Anthony Averett (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Jakorian Bennett (McGill-Toolen) started at cornerback for the Raiders in his first pro game. Bennett made one tackle on defense and one tackle on special teams.

· Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson (Auburn) set an NFL single-season record by making 11 field goals of at least 50 yards last season, when he earned first-team All-Pro recognition, and he started the 2023 preseason by hitting a 53-yard field goal. Carlson also made a 46-yard field goal and went 4-of-4 on extra points versus San Francisco.

· Forty-Niners defensive lineman Marlon Davidson (Greenville, Auburn) made three tackles.

· Raiders defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy) made two tackles.

· Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (Alabama) has not signed the franchise-tag tender and has not been at training camp with Las Vegas.

· Forty-Niners tight end Cameron Latu (Alabama) had a 9-yard reception in his first pro game, but he fumbled on the play and Las Vegas recovered at the San Francisco 14-yard line to set up a third-quarter touchdown.

· Forty-Niners cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. (South Alabama) is on the physically-unable-to-perform list and has not practiced with San Francisco in training camp. Reports indicate Luter has a knee problem.

· John Samuel Shenker (Auburn) started at tight end for the Raiders in his first pro game.

· Raiders wide receiver Cam Sims (Alabama) did not record any stats.

· Byron Young (Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Raiders in his first pro game.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.