Phins4life 271 Posted July 20, 2013 (edited) At first, nothing seemed amiss about the empty field. I'm just early, Derek Wake thought. It was the spring of 2007, and Wake had been invited to a D.C.-area tryout for the Canadian Football League's BC Lions. As he waited for others to arrive, Wake threw on his cleats and started warming up on the turf at Howard University's Greene Stadium. Fifteen or so minutes passed before Wake made a call. "Everyone's here," said the voice on the other end of the phone. "Here" was Hampton University, another historically black college, three hours south of Howard. "I'm going to drive three hours, get out of the car, and run the 40?" Wake says, recalling that embarrassing moment six years later. "That's not going to happen." Some people have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Derek Wake was not one of these people. Undrafted out of Penn State in 2005, Wake was cut by the Giants before training camp. He worked out for a handful of teams but couldn't catch on anywhere. Wake spent part of the next year working at a mortgage brokerage before leaving for a job at Bally Total Fitness in an effort to stay in shape. The next spring, he was invited to Ravens minicamp. He left without a job. At 25, the chance with BC was possibly his last. "It started to cross my mind," Wake says. "What am I going to do? I've got to start making a move, as far as my life is concerned. How long am I going to sit by this phone?" All-22 All-Stars: Cameron Wake Love his story...love the piece. I'm a sucker for the underdog. In a world where analysts can swear up and down they have your future in the NFL (or lack thereof) pegged. It's nice to see guys like him strike it rich thanks to some good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears. Edited July 20, 2013 by Phins4life Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
