The NFL Draft always brings out the best of stories. Stories that inspire. Stories that move fans to tears and stories that put smiles on faces. In the 2024 NFL Draft, there are no exceptions. We could’ve chosen many names, but four particular players stand out more than most.
Grab a tissue if needed.
J.J. McCarthy: Born To Be An NFL Quarterback
Of all the great stories among the NFL Draft prospects, quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the University of Michigan might have the best one I’ve heard or read about in quite a while. During his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, McCarthy revealed an unbelievable piece of footage that had never been seen before. It was a video of his mother Megan and father Jim talking about what they would name their child just prior to him being born.
Megan: “What other names?” Jim: “I like Jonathon James and I want to call him J.J. He’s gonna be daddy’s little quarterback. But if not, that’s ok.”
Check out the full excerpt below. If this does not bring a tear to your eye, nothing will.
McCarthy also talked about his own personal journey, specifically in his senior year of high school during COVID:
“I went through a little form of depression. I was sitting on campus feeling miserable, not my normal self and I had to figure out a way to pull myself out of it.” McCarthy found meditation as his healing mechanism: “Once I put it into practice and started studying it, I started understanding that YOU have the ability to change your thought processes. ” It is certainly a story we can all learn from in life no matter what we go through.
McCarthy now begins his pro career after being selected 10th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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2024 NFL Draft Tells A Michael Penix Jr. Comeback Story For The Ages
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from the University of Washington was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons. It was a stunning move. His journey to becoming an NFL player will make a fan’s jaw drop.
Penix Jr. wrote an open letter to NFL general managers earlier this offseason for The Players Tribune detailing his struggles, specifically in college. A lot of student athletes go through ups and downs, especially injuries. But imagine suffering broken bones or torn ligaments for FOUR straight years.
During his freshman and sophomore seasons, Penix went to Indiana University. His freshman year in 2018, Penix suffered a torn ACL. He had to redshirt, meaning the quarterback’s season would end.
When he came back in 2019, Penix would win the job. Yet, he suffered another devastating injury. This time, a dislocated joint in his non-throwing shoulder in a game against Northwestern that November. Penix missed the remainder of the season. Then as we all know, COVID hit in 2020 which shortened the college football season in the Big Ten.
Once again, injury derailed Penix. Another torn ACL. He actually came back sooner than team doctors expected and only played five games in 2021 before suffering a shoulder injury. He then transferred from Indiana to University of Washington in December 2021. It seemed to be a dead end for Penix.
Penix didn’t think so, telling this to The Players Tribune:
“From 4th quarter comebacks to entering the transfer portal waiting for somebody to call, Indiana taught me to never take this game for granted. It also taught me that if I fall, I wouldn’t bet against me getting up.”
Penix’ tenure at Washington was nothing short of STELLAR. In 2022, he had the college football world on notice leading Washington to a surprising 11-2 record. He threw for 4,461 yards, 31 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Penix was also awarded Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press. Washington started the season as an unranked team and finished it as the eighth-best squad in the nation.
This past season was even better. Penix threw for 4,903 yards with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. More importantly, the Huskies went undefeated in the regular season and earned a spot in the playoff. Unfortunately, they fell to Michigan in the title game. But there was no doubt, he resurrected his college career. It’s not a matter of how often you get knocked down, it’s about how often you pick yourself up.
Related: Grading Each 1st-Round Pick In The 2024 NFL Draft
Laiatu Latu Takes Advantage Of A Second Chance
Laiatu Latu was considered by many draft evaluators as a top five edge rusher on their draft boards this year. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-12 and an All-American in 2023. But what most people don’t realize is the journey he had to get here.
Before his sophomore season in 2020, Latu suffered an injury that went undisclosed for quite sometime. It was unfortunately a neck injury. Back in April of 2021, it was announced by Washington head coach Jimmy Lake that Latu would undergo neck fusion surgery and be forced to retire from football. Just like that, his career was seemingly over. Latu didn’t think so didn’t think so.
“I just told myself I feel like I’m not done. I know my body… I still have my strength. I was determined the whole way through,” Latu said, via The Athletic.
The same doctor who treated Hall of Famer Peyton Manning for the exact same neck issue, Dr Robert Watkins, officially cleared Latu to return to football in August 2021. It came after extensive testing. But Washington team doctors decided to play the long game and held him out for that season.
Latu transferred to UCLA shortly thereafter. The Bruins did a more thorough evaluation in the summer of 2022. It was at that point Latu received a second medical clearance to return to play.
Two Years Of Redemption
In 2022, it was well worth the wait for Latu to return to play. He recorded 10.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. As great as that season was, last year is when he really burst onto the scene. The EDGE rusher recorded 21.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and two interceptions. It was this past year that really got the attention of draft evaluators.
NFL Draft Night: A Dream Come True
Thursday night, Laialu Latu was drafted 15th overall by the Indianapolis Colts. It was the latest amount of time that the first defensive player had been taken in the first round. Safe to say he will fit well in Indianapolis alongside star pass rusher DeForest Buckner.
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Xavier Thomas: An NFL Draft Story Of Defying The Odds
Like a lot of people at the time, edge rusher Xavier Thomas struggled with isolation and depression during the COVID pandemic. He had been diagnosed with COVID during the early stages of the pandemic and was forced to self isolate. He was 298 pounds and considered it to be one of the lowest points of his college career.
It’s hard to believe, but the third highest-ranked recruit in the Class of 2018 truly was considering quitting football two years later.
“Back then, when I was dealing with that, I tried to keep it bottled in, keep it to myself and be a tough guy and have a tough act,” Thomas said.
Thomas did manage to play seven games for Clemson during the 2020 season and improved his play in 2021. He was granted an additional year of eligibility due to the NCAA’s blanket waiver for any athlete whose season was cut short due to the pandemic. In 2022, it was a make or break season. Unfortunately, a broken foot derailed him. Thomas was only able to play three games that year. It was his mental toughness and his faith that pushed him through.
Thomas is now using his platform to encourage people to share their stories. No matter what you’re going through, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. He has high hopes of being drafted during this weekend. I believe he will be.