Ty Boeck, McClendon Curtis and Devonnsha Maxwell would have loved to reach the NFL the conventional way, of course. To continue their football careers, though, the three former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga players will have to go the unconventional route.
But if there is any inspiration needed, there’s plenty of it in the Mocs’ recent past.
Of the four UTC players currently on NFL rosters, two of them — Atlanta Falcons linebacker Tae Davis and New York Jets defensive lineman Isaiah Mack — were undrafted free agents despite having success with the Mocs. That’s the journey that Curtis, who has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, Maxwell, who has signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, and Boeck, who was invited to the Indianapolis Colts’ rookie mini-camp, will have to assume.
(Corey Levin, a 2017 sixth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, and Cole Strange, a 2002 first-round pick of the New England Patriots are other UTC alumni currently in the league.)
For athletes who have competed in the Football Championship Subdivision, the lower tier of Division I that includes UTC, flying under the radar regardless of success might feel familiar as they attempt to make the jump from college to the professional ranks.