10 NFL Players Who Had The Hardest Path To The Pros

Just because a player made it into the NFL and played at the highest level, doesn't mean that they had an easy path to get there. While a lot of players have been bred for the sport and had an easier path than others, that's not the case for everyone.

RELATED: 10 NFL Players Draft Experts Got Totally Wrong

In the NFL there are many players who had a hard path into the league. Furthermore, many fans aren't aware of their past and the road to get there because of their success in the league. Here are ten individuals who had to work hard to get into the highest level of the sport.

10 Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce is one of the best tight ends in the game today, and one of the best players in the league in general. However, many fans would be shocked to realize his high school career wasn't great, leading him to be a two-star recruit.

The tight end decided to play for the university of Cincinnati but had just one catch through his first three seasons due to injury, and a positive marijuana test. Upon returning, he had two mediocre seasons but was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, where he's now made his name as a future Hall of Famer.

9 Brandon Jacobs

Brandon Jacobs's stint in the NFL was a lengthy one, complete with two Super Bowl rings and over 5,000 rushing yards. That's an impressive run for a running back who spent most of his college career on the move looking for a chance to shine.

Jacobs spent two seasons at Coffeyville Community College before walking on at Auburn, where he spent one year as a third-string runner. He left to play D-3 football for his senior year, where he had a solid year. The New York Giants eventually took a gamble on him in the fourth round, which worked out, to say the least.

8 Cameron Wake

Cameron Wake's tough journey to the NFL is one that could be made into a movie. The defensive end received a scholarship to play football at Penn State, where he did for his entire college career. Sadly, he didn't live up to the hype and didn't play much in college.

RELATED: 10 Undrafted Players Who Became Stars In The NFL

He went undrafted and had a cup of coffee with the New York Giants before being cut and heading to the CFL. He then had two insane seasons with the BC Lions, leading him to be given a prove-it deal with the Miami Dolphins in 2009. That was the shot he needed, as he went on to be a monster for the team for nearly a decade.

7 Taysom Hill

Taysom Hill's current role in the NFL is one that nobody could've ever seen coming. The current utility player for the New Orleans Saints does it all, a contrast to his college career, where he couldn't stay on the field.

In college for BYU, Hill had four season-ending injuries, suffering from everything from a broken foot, to a broken leg, to a hyper-extended elbow. He went undrafted in 2017 and was quickly signed, and then cut by the Green Bay Packers. He eventually got a shot with the Saints, where he currently resides.

6 Matt Cassel

&copy; Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n"">

Matt Cassel had a solid run in the NFL, having played for nearly 15 seasons, and making the Pro Bowl. However, that would've seemed impossible after his college run at USC, where he didn't start a single game.

Cassel even experimented at tight end and special teams to get a shot but was no good there either. After throwing just 33 passes in four seasons, the New England Patriots took a shot on him in the draft, taking him in the seventh round. That was the shot he needed.

5 Julian Edelman

The New England Patriots seemingly have an eye for talent in the seventh round. Julian Edelman was a quarterback for Kent State in college, and wasn't very good, to say the least. However, he clearly had the physical talent.

In 2009, the Patriots took a risk on him in the last round. That risk worked out, as Edelman went on to become a staple of the team for over a decade, and is currently hoping to find his place in Canton.

4 Richard Sherman

Richard Sherman was one of the best cornerbacks in the league for almost a decade, having had incredible stints with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. However, his road to the league didn't even start with him playing defense.

Sherman was a three-star recruit coming out of college and decided to head to Stanford to play wide receiver. After three mediocre seasons complete with injury, he switched to cornerback in 2009. There he played okay, but not great to end his college career, but was drafted late by the Seahawks in 2011, where he became a legend.

3 Priest Holmes

Priest Holmes is one of the greatest running backs of the 2000s, having gotten a Super Bowl ring, and multiple Pro Bowl nods. That would've seemed impossible after his college career, where he played for the University of Texas.

In four years there, Holmes barely played. That lack of production led him to be an undrafted player, who was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. Luckily, they saw his talent, and he eventually won a Super Bowl with the team. He then went on to have a record-season with the Chiefs, rushing for 27 touchdowns in 2003.

2 Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield is a controversial player in today's NFL. While he was solid for the Cleveland Browns and even won them a playoff game, he was shipped out of town in favor of Deshaun Watson this year. Now in a prove-it situation in Carolina, that's nothing new to the QB.

RELATED: Predicting The 10 Worst NFL Teams Of The 2022 Season

Mayfield was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and received only a handful of offers. He decided to walk on at Texas Tech, where he played okay, but wasn't given a scholarship. He then decided to walk on at the University of Oklahoma, where he missed a year due to transfer rules. After returning, he became a legend for the school, leading him to be drafted first overall in 2018.

1 Warren Moon

Warren Moon's career was insane to put it lightly. After four mediocre seasons in college at the University of Washington, he went undrafted in 1978. With zero NFL teams wanting him, at least as a QB, he went to the CFL.

There, he won five championships with the Edmonton Eskimos. After that sustained success, he forced the NFL to pay attention to him. He was picked up by the Houston Oilers in 1984, thus beginning his journey to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Not bad for a player that nobody wanted.