TEvery year we see players who, being chosen in the last rounds of the NFL Draft, end up becoming stars of the competition. These five that we present below have the talent, and their surprising personal stories compel confidence in their future.
ZAMIR WHITE (RUNNER, GEORGIA)
Zamir was the best runner of his year coming out of the Institute, attended one of the best universities in the United States and has added 22 touchdowns in the last two years. And even so, it is the greatest success story of this Draft: two hours after being born, the doctors did not give him more than 2 weeks to live.
White was born with a cleft lip, a birth defect that made it difficult for him to eat. and that led him to live his first three months within hospital walls. That, added to kidney problems, constant ear infections and a hernia, made his early years a penance. Now, he comes to the NFL with a bombproof character, an inhuman physique what has earned him the nickname ‘Zeus’ and ready to become one of the best racers in the competition.
BOYE MAFE (DEFENSIVE LINE, MINNESOTA)
Boye Mafe
Boye Mafe is one of those special players. He has incredible speed that makes him explode like a rocket and be a real terror for rival quarterbacks, a flexibility beyond any doubt and an impressive aggressiveness for its size. The problem is that an is not the sum of its parts.
The son of Nigerian emigrants, Mafe suffered firsthand how cruel coincidences can sometimes be, when his mother died of pancreatic cancer in the middle of Mother’s Day. With patience and a team that enhances their skills we could be facing the next great “quarterback chaser” of the competition. The sky is the limit for him.
CALVIN AUSTIN III (RECEPTOR, MEMPHIS)
Calvin Austin III
Calvin Austin He had always dreamed of being a local hero. Born and raised in Memphis and with a father who went to that same university, he was just looking for an opportunity in the place of his dreams. But he didn’t come.
Despite breaking all possible records on the athletics track (his personal record in the 100 meters is 10.55 seconds) had to walk-on (non-scholarship player) in the Tigers and climb from below to become what he is today: a deep threat with supersonic speed and an ability to gain receiving yards beyond question.
COBY BRYANT (CB, CINCINNATI)
Coby Bryant
You can imagine who his father’s favorite basketball player was, right? Coby quite sincerely honors the NBA star on the green: he is an aggressive player, capable of playing through pain (he competed the entire 2019 season in a cast after breaking his hand, a la Kobe when he made two free throws against the Warriors after tearing his Achilles Tendon) and wearing the ‘Mamba Mentality’ engraved on fire.
After more than 50 starts in four years and some incredible numbers in the interceptions and passes defensed section (10 and 45, respectively) Bryant will delight any defensive coordinator who needs a player who can perform right out of the box.
GRANT CALCATERRA (TIGHT END, SMU)
Grant Calcaterra
Grant Calcaterra He was a high school football star in California, but decided to start his college career in Oklahoma to meet Baltimore Ravens player Mark Andrews (his best friend along with Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield).
After a dreamy 2018 season, 2019 was a nightmare and Calcaterra retired in November of that year due to constant shocks. Once off the pitch, Grant dedicated himself to another dream of his: to be fireman. During that year he conducted first aid sessions and worked in an ambulance, as well as in construction. In 2020 he decided to return to the fields and seek to be the next great NFL receiving tight end, like his friend Mark Andrews..
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