Don Callis, the new cornerback for the Green Bay Packers, is finally getting his chance in the NFL after participating in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
“It’s been quite a week,” Callis remarked following his first practice at the Packers’ training camp on Tuesday. He shared that he had just graduated from college and received the call from the Packers only hours later. “It was a blessing to get that call. We worked out this morning; I did pretty solid and I guess I impressed,” he said.
Callis, who earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Troy University, went undrafted this year despite having 4.42 speed in the 40-yard dash. He tried out for both the Packers’ and 49ers’ rookie camps without being signed. During this uncertain period, Callis took a job mowing lawns for $11 an hour, working from 5 in the morning until 5 in the evening. “It was very humbling but I’m blessed to be here now playing football, doing what I love,” he said.
The past few months were tough for Callis, testing his patience and resolve. “It was definitely hard,” he admitted. “I was definitely down and out at first. ‘Man, is football even for me?’ I was asking questions like that but sooner or later, it’s like, ‘It’s for me. I’ve been doing this since I was young. I’m going to keep going.’ I just got the motivation again to keep going, keep pushing. I put my faith in the most high God and that’s all that she wrote.”
Callis spent four seasons at East Central University in Ada, Okla., before transferring to Troy for his final year, where he played as a key backup and broke up four passes. Pro Football Focus noted he allowed 11-of-18 passes for 167 yards and zero touchdowns.
Everything aligned for Callis this week, starting with receiving his diploma. His aunt had told him months earlier that he might need to finish his degree before getting a call. “And she was right. They called,” Callis said.
Now, with his opportunity secured, Callis is ready to compete in the NFL. “My agent was the first one to text me. He said, ‘Congratulations.’ I was like, ‘What does that mean?’ After that, they told me that I did good and they’re going to sign me. I was feeling humble. I was giving all praises to God.”
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