Published April 23, 2019 on Sports Illustrated
Gary Gramling, my editor at Sports Illustrated, came up with this idea of identifying the draft’s most overlooked prospect and then creating a guessing game, a puzzle for readers to put together to figure out his identity. It was a genius idea.
SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA — Prospect X runs over the four bags lying on the field, stepping lightly to show off his footwork. He trips on the last bag as he turns to run upfield, an uncharacteristic miscue. He shakes his head and wipes a layer of sweat off his brow as he walks back to the first bag to restart. “I can tell you’re nervous,” barks one of the two NFL offensive line coaches running this private workout. “That’s normal, but it’s just us hanging out. Take a deep breath.”
It’s a little after 9 a.m. on a sunny April morning, and aside from the chirping birds there are only five souls—two coaches, a scout, a reporter and PROSPECT X—at this tiny college stadium. One side of the now-empty bleachers is built into a steep hillside and the trees and scraggly bushes lean into the stadium, giving it the feel of a protected oasis. But X isn’t experiencing that sense of calm today. As a small-school product who wasn’t invited to an all-star game or the combine, he knows he has more to prove than the guys from the big programs, and he hasn’t let himself relax for one moment during the draft process. Especially not now, when the scout has an iPad trained on him, taking video to bring back to his team—a team that X happens to really like, and one he thinks he’s made a good impression on.