The path to the NFL isn’t the same for every prospect. While some shine in college, going from Day-1 starters to Day-1 draft picks, others are more tested and have to wait to find a home until after the seven rounds have come and gone.
Miami Dolphins defensive end Mason Reiger finds himself in the second of those buckets after dealing with injuries throughout his time in college that nearly ended his football career.
“It was just basically some doctor thought that, you know, not that he recommended [medical retirement], but just like I should take it into consideration,” Reiger told reporters after the first day of rookie minicamp (via the Palm Beach Post). “I personally didn’t agree with that. That kind of all led to the decision for me to end up transferring from Louisville to Wisconsin. And like I said, I just had full confidence in my physical health and the ability to move on and continue to play football. And so that’s what I did.”
The injuries kept Reiger, who recorded 82 tackles, 13 sacks, four forced fumbles, four passes defensed and a fumble recovery in 44 games between the two schools, from hearing his name during this year’s draft. However, he’s using that as fuel.
“I felt like I deserved to be picked, but I think that’s part of, you know, everything happens for a reason,” Reiger said. “And I’m super blessed to how my story’s played out. And this is just another opportunity for me to prove all these coaches right that took a chance on me and prove everybody wrong that didn’t believe in me. You know, obviously, the fact that I wasn’t drafted shows that I haven’t done enough. So that’s just another mindset push for me to keep going.”
Miami has just one starting edge rusher written in permanent marker on the depth chart right now (Chop Robinson), so if Reiger proves that he’s capable of setting the edge and getting after opposing quarterbacks consistently, he could earn a spot on this roster and legitimate opportunities as a rookie.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins rookie reveals motivation to make the team as a UDFA
Reporting by Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
