ATLANTA — In one way or another, the coronavirus has impacted almost everybody.
For some NFL prospects, their shot at getting in front of NFL scouts at their respective Pro Day was called off.
“Of course I was devastated, but I kept my faith,” said wide receiver Keyston Fuller. “I kept going strong. I wasn’t too worried about it. I just asked Manny what time we were working out.”
Manny Rodriguez is a trainer at U48 Fitness in Lawrenceville. He recognizes how important Pro Day is and how not having that opportunity to showcase talents in front of scouts will affect a lot of athletes.
“It’s their biggest interview within the next five to seven years,” said Rodriguez. “Not that football is everything, but this is something they’ve lived out their entire childhood life. A lot of these guys are going to get affected if they don’t showcase what they have. They’re always going to feel like they didn’t have an opportunity to do something that they love and show that they could make it.”
Even with Pro Days canceled, many athletes are continuing to work. Guys like Christian Angulo. He’s a cornerback who played at Hampton University.
Not only was his Pro Day canceled, but so was the NFL’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Combine, which he had been invited to.
“Sometimes you can’t control external factors,” said Angulo. “All you can really do is stay focused and keep working on your craft.”
And that is exactly what these athletes are doing -- working on their craft -- so that when the time comes; when their name is called and they have an opportunity to play professional football, they will be ready.
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