Never underestimate the heart of a warrior. Jeff Chadwick who grew up in Michigan and was a high school track star attended Grand Valley State University. Chadwick was not drafted by an NFL team. Undeterred and clinging to his football dream, the Detroit Lions gave Chadwick a tryout. The rest as they say is history.
Joining the Detroit Lions wide receiver room in 1983, that already boasted NFL established players, Leonard Thompson, Mark Nichols, Freddie Scott and Robbie Martin. Jeff Chadwick would need to earn playing time. In the NFL nothing is just given to a player.
Little by little, game by game Chadwick saw his playing time increase. He became a reliable deep ball threat. Chadwick would also run across the middle of the field. In fact in his rookie season Chadwick amassed 40 receptions for 617 yards and four touchdowns.
1986 was statistically Jeff Chadwick’s best with the Lions, he had 53 receptions and 995 yards, Chadwick would go on to play for the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, in a very solid NFL career.
Now days, Jeff Chadwick runs a football camp in Clare Michigan. Chadwick enlisted help from other former NFL players (many of which are former teammates) to help instruct and show children proper technique’s at all the different positions.
It is a valuable lesson for children. It has a larger impact due to former NFL players who played at the most elite level of football. Less than one percent of the population plays in the NFL.
Yet, with former NFL players getting down and dirty and sweating along with the children going through the same drills it allows the children to gain a lifetime of memories and allows them to dream about perhaps playing in the NFL one day.
