Sunday, April 21, 2013

Players not drafted still can make it big


The NFL draft is a major event for young football players who are trying to live out a dream that started when they were young.

The sad part is a lot of players who feel they may have been good enough go through all 3 days in waiting to get the call from a team that they were selected and it just does not happen.

The thing about this is the draft may have come and gone but the chance to get an invite to a team still is not over.

It is called becoming a rookie free agent, the day after the draft teams make calls and invite players to go to minicamp and get a shot at making the team. The players then go to minicamp and if the team likes what they see this player may just get a shot at training camp.

The names in the NFL that have gone this way are impressive. I have found a list on NFL.com that goes as follows: Kurt Warner, Warren Moon, Priest Holmes, Arian Foster, Antonio Gates, Wes Welker, London Fletcher, Rod Smith, Jeff Saturday, James Harrison, Adam Vinatieri, Wayne Chrebet just to name a few. Alright Vikings fans, anyone heard of John Randle? The man not only was undrafted making it the hard way but he is now one of the elite as he was enshrined in the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. John’s hard work through his Vikings career has paid off.

The Vikings have a few on the current roster, but 2 in particular that I am pulling for to have big careers.

Erin Henderson who was signed in 2009 by the Vikings as an undrafted rookie free agent has worked his butt of so much he became a starting linebacker for the Vikings in 2011.

Erin I have met several times in Mankato and you will not find a nicer man. I have watched him through his Vikings years in camp with his older brother, E.J. It was such a great sight to see the 2 brothers on the same team. I felt bad for Erin because of the amount of people that would called him E.J. Erin has made a name for himself now and his play speaks for himself. He just signed a contract in the offseason to remain a Vikings for a couple more years.

I am relieved as this is the man who deserves the reward of the contract. If you are a radio listener and listed to KFAN, Erin is a regular on the show and does a wonderful job during the season.

I got a firsthand experience as I went in the locker room in Winter Park to conduct interviews with players after practice. I interviewed a few players but later I came on an interview that was being conducted with Erin. It was the weak prior to Thanksgiving and Erin was asked what he was going to do over the break.

Erin, answered he was going to watch football and see how the linebackers play. If this is not a man who wants to be better than I do not know what is. Good Luck to Erin this upcoming season.

Marcus Sherels made the team in 2010 as an undrafted rookie free agent. This man I am pulling for because of his story being a Minnesotan his whole life.

I live in Owatonna and the high school is part of the Big 9 conference. Marcus played for Rochester John Marshall Rockets who are also part of this conference.

Marcus then played for the University of Minnesota before getting the call for the Vikings. A home town boy with a storybook ongoing is a great story to follow.

The punt return he had last year in Detroit that went for a touchdown was a great sight from our hometown kid.

I got to do a better job of recognizing young kids and their potential future. I remember going to training camp and watching a young kid playing catch with Cris Carter and Randy Moss. Who was it? It was Larry Fitzgerald Jr, a Vikings ball boy back in the day. What is Larry Jr now? He just might be the best receiver in the NFL. Larry also got drafted with the number 3 pick in 2004 by Arizona.

I go to Owatonna football games and when they played Rochester John Marshall little did I know I was watching a future Vikings player.

Good luck to all players in the draft and if you are not called do not give up as you see the examples of players before you and what they have accomplished.

Thanks for reading

Purplestick


source: NFL.com

 

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