JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Being an NFL prospect produces a lot of highs and lows. It's the nature of the business.
After spending three or four years practicing tackling technique and working out plays on a chalk board, prospects are asked to put those habits on hold for several months. In turn, they are pushed to make the move from college football players to track and field novices in hopes of impressing NFL scouts.
For Episcopal School of Jacksonville alum, Shakeel Rashad, it's been an eye-opening experience.
“Three week into [offseason conditioning], we were working out, getting ready for pro day,” Rashad said. “I was like ‘Man, I miss football already.’ It’s all I know, so to be away from it this long is really weird. So I can’t wait to find out where I’m going in the next few days.”
Rashad is among the several Jacksonville area natives hoping to land a spot on an NFL roster in the next few days. The younger brother of former Washington Redskins safety Sha'reff Rashad has had his work cut out for him as he attempts to prove his worth to NFL franchises.
While that seems like a similar narrative to most NFL hopefuls, Rashad doesn't have the benefit of being a long-time starter with a flashy resume. He became a full-time starter for the first time as a senior at the University of North Carolina and made the most of his opportunities, shifting him from an afterthought to a realistic NFL prospect.
“I think I had a productive year,” Rashad said. “I think this season helped me out a lot."
Still, the one-year stigma is a real one in the NFL and Rashad has had to show he is more than a just a flash in the pan. He worked out in Dallas to prepare for his pro day and met with several teams during the process, participating in workouts and interviewing with decision-makers.
As a player who wasn't fond of the college recruiting process, Rashad has seen his role reversed. Instead of teams selling their programs to Rashad, he's being asked to sell himself to NFL franchises.
“It’s wild, it’s very different than college,” Rashad said. “Coming out of high school, you have all the teams calling you, trying to tell you what’s best about their school, so you have to do all of this research. In the NFL, it’s just different in that getting drafted, you don’t have choice.”
Rashad says he would be happy with wherever he lands in the NFL. However, he admits playing in front of his family in Jacksonville would be a special opportunity.
“That would be awesome,” Rashad said. “To be able to play back in the hometown would be an incredible [experience]. But I wouldn’t be unhappy getting an experience somewhere else. I’d be pumped about it wherever I got to go.”
The local boy has Jacksonville in his blood and he hopes to represent Episcopal in a positive light. He looks back on his time at the school with great fondness.
“Anything I can do to help out Episcopal, I’ll do it because I had seven awesome years there, my brother had four before that, so my family is Episcopal all the way and I enjoyed every day I spent there,” Rashad said.
The 6-foot-2, 238-pound linebacker, known as "Shaktus" and "Shakie Robinson" by his friends, will watch the draft in Jacksonville.
A massive cartoon fan, he plans to have one television on the NFL Draft and another on his favorite animated series this weekend. Much like his favorite character SpongeBob SquarePants, he's "ready" to make the move to the NFL.
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.
