Making it pro.
After watching the 1st round of the NFL draft, I had a moment of clarity for a second. The route taken to get to the NFL, NBA, MLS or WNBA is not linear or the same for everyone. Many professional athletes are not born that way. Some are naturally talented and from the correct gene pool while others have to work for it and sometimes have to go the extra mile to get there.
The three athletes that really made me think were 1st overall pick Cam Ward, Steelers first-round DT Derrick Harmon and yet to be drafted Shedeur Sanders. Ill start with Sanders because his route to the NFL is different than any of our kids. His father was a NFL HOF, he came out of high school as a 4 star athlete and he could have went to multiple schools, but decided to follow his father to Jackson State. He spent the last two with his father at Colorado and led the country in completion percentage. He is a great athlete and can definitely play the game at a high level, but rumors and NFL gossip says execs dislike his attitude, cockiness and the “daddy ball” environment he comes from.
Derrick Harmon had a more relatable story. He was a 3 star recruit who ended up at Michigan State. He barely played as a freshman, sparingly as a sophomore and became a starter as a junior. He entered the transfer portal and had a great senior season as an Oregon Duck, but that isn’t the part of the story that intrigued me. He spent most of his time pre draft in the ICU tended to his dying mother. After being drafted, he was able to tell his mom, who was on life support, that he was drafted by Pittsburgh before she passed away. This young man had his whole life crumbling around him while he was going through a moment that will change his life forever.
Cam Ward came out of high school like most athletes. He only had one scholarship offer to a small FCS school, he was a 0 star recruit and played for a team that didn’t highlight his skill set. he spent two years at Incarnate Word where he won multiple awards. He then transferred to Washington State for two years and initially entered the 2024 NFL Draft, but he withdrew his name and transferred to Miami instead. Last year he made the college football playoffs and won many national awards. Last night, his matriculation through college ended and his entrance to the NFL began as the #1 pick.
These three athletes have the same goal but completely different routes and back stories. One is the son of a NFL HOF, one naturally gifted and one who was just an ordinary athlete coming out of high school. They have now been drafted in the opposite order of their projections coming out of high school. Rumor has it many execs don’t like Sanders due to his ego, dad’s influence and overall hype. Harmon had the biggest distraction, his mother dying, but still had to focus and do what was necessary to be drafted. Ward had been under the radar his first three years and after a great fourth year, he still came back and became the 1st overall pick of the NFL.
While many of you play sorts other than football, the desire to become a professional is still there. As parents, i’s your job to make sure your child has the best opportunities in front of them, but what is good for them now may not translate into what is good for them later. Daddy ball can be harmful to some when it comes to growth, but it is eve more detrimental from a social aspect. Some people may find favoritism, attitude problems and throw shade do to this. Make sure your child is chasing a coach to get recognition.
Losing a parent is hard, but we must make sure our children are prepared to be focused and successful without us. Harmon has went through something I would never wish on a child, but our children must be prepared for the worst. Finally, Ward displays the long term success of keeping your dream alive and working through whatever circumstances you face to be able to be on the field. You definitely have to BELIEVE in yourself before you can go anywhere.