The walk on who wouldn't give up

 

• Timeline:

• Grey Shirt at Orange Coast Community College - Orange County, CA.

• Left due to constant Covid season cancellations (3)

• Enrolled at ASU in the Spring of 2021 hoping to get an opportunity to walk on at any position 

• Recruiting coordinator told me no 7 times to start

• Lifting, I tore my labrum in my right shoulder

• Met members of the team who showed me around

• I left film on the recruiting coaches desk - No response

• Met Michael Turk, ASU Punter outside the facility who tried to help me - No response

• Speed training in San Diego with Les Spellman/Ethan Locke - Trained with Austin Ekeler - LA Chargers.  Les put in a good word for me - No response

• Waited in the parking lot for 5 1/2 hours to meet the special teams coach, and introduced myself by saying, "I enrolled explicitly for football, not academics".  - No response

• Months of PT, with only moderate improvement

• Surgery April 29th 2021

• Recruiting coordinator told me, no again, multiple times

• Shoulder improving, but not 100%.  

• Received the email inviting me to the only walk on try outs for the season on Sept 7th 2021

• I was told all the boxes were checked with the NCAA and I was ready to go.

• The night before the try outs I received an email saying there was an issue with the NCAA, and I could not try out

• I missed the 10 am tryouts 

• The compliance office at ASU jumped through hoops for me, and at  2pm I got the call from the coaches.

• The recruiting staff allows me to have a private tryout later in the day.

• Leaving my dorm on the 17th floor the elevator broke.  I ran down 17 flights of stairs and arrived a little winded for the tryout, but this was my only shot.  "Let's do it!"

• The next morning at 10:30 am they called and said, "Welcome to the team!".  The best day of my life.

• Four months post op, not cleared to play, I was told to wait until spring

• Recruiting coordinator left the team

• Finally brought onto the team in the spring semester of 2022

• After 3 weeks at linebacker I was getting noticed for my speed in the sprints.  Offensive Analyst Brian Billick asked the tight ends coach, "Who is that?"  The coach didn't know and asked a player.  A few days later Herm Edwards came up to me and said, "Did anyone talk with you about your position change?"  "No". " We're moving you to Full Back/Tight End, we think you can help us".  Justin, "When does this go into effect?"  Herm, "Now!"

​

​

​