By Stephen Cooney

When you are not a prospect from a well-known college football program there is a beaten path to follow into the NFL. The road runs through pro days and individual workouts and is lined with the rejected tapes of thousands of other skilled players who have treaded down the dirt path.

There are very few clean roads and straight shots to the NFL from the side roads, and a Pro Day seems like the only shining option on the unbeaten path. It is where highly scouted players cross paths with other prospects, and everyone comes to evaluate the competition. For some, it s where their NFL dreams come to an end, and for others it is where there journey to the league takes a new twist and leads them home.

For Hofstra University’s Defensive Back Stephen Tat,e his pro day was just the beginning of his journey to the NFL and back to his hometown.

“I was disappointed in my pro day. I didn’t perform the way I had anticipated.” Tate said. “So, I was real upset about my pro day performance. I was thinking that that was really my only shot to go the league. I was like I may never be able to play football again.”

What looked like a dark road or a dead end soon turned into a familiar road to an even more familiar area. Tate grew up in Centerville, Virginia a mere 18.3 miles from Ashburn, Virginia, the home of the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins were holding a regional workout, and Tate was approached by a representative from the team.

“Sean Fletcher from the Redskins called me and said ‘We are having a regional workout and you are in the radius. Would you like to come?’ so I said yes.” Tate said.

Tate packed his bags for Virginia drove down on May 3 and woke up early on May 4 for the workout. During the workout Tate shined in the positional and individual aspects of the workout, breaking up two of four passes in one on one drills.

This performance earned Tate an invitation to the team’s mini-camp and an opportunity to gain an NFL contract. There Tate was again in his car driving from Hempstead to Ashburn in hopes of gaining an NFL contract.

After four days of mini-camp Tate left the Ashburn area not knowing if he had a contract or if he had impressed the coaches enough to receive a contract. He packed his bags and headed back on the familiar drive from Ashburn to Hempstead.

While driving his car down Interstate-95 Tate received a phone call from his agent telling him that he was being offered a rookie free agent contract to come into training camp with the Washington Redskins.

“When I got the call man it was joy. That is all I can say, just exuberance and pure pandemonium from within.” Tate said. “I just looked up at the sky man, that is all I did.”

Just as Tate did not see the path that wound its way through pro days and back to his home state he has not completely come to terms with the NFL contract he signed and put in the mail yesterday.

“I haven’t even realized what has happened to me yet. It hasn’t even dawned on me.” Tate said. “A lot of people I talk to like my family are really excited. All the people I talk to are like oh my god you are in the NFL that is so awesome and I guess I do not see it yet. There is still more out there for me to get. I am focused on not being complacent; there is always more.”