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Before joining the UTRGV Football Team in 2025, Elijah Graham, a former redshirt senior defensive back from Federal Way, Washington, had thought his connection with the sport was over. Now, he is navigating the NFL Draft process in hopes of playing professionally.
After playing for Mercyhurst University in 2024, Graham entered the transfer portal, hoping to receive an offer. However, when that fell through, he was left without any options. Without a school to be enrolled in, Graham focused on taking jobs, first at McDonald’s, then, working on a railroad with his uncle.
“Football was out of my life,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to play again.”
Then, came a call that Graham said reignited his passion to play football.
“UTRGV hit me up,” he said. “… From then, the dream was alive again. I made sure to capitalize and try to create an opportunity for myself.”
Graham said the UTRGV coaching staff’s experience and overall investment into the football program is what drew him in, as he saw it as a chance to further develop as a player.
“Missing out on it … it just made me grateful,” he said. “The camaraderie, the practices, the workouts … I was just very grateful for football.”
Graham added this mindset helped put him on the radar of professional teams, such as the Seattle Seahawks.
For most players, the journey to play professionally often involves pro days, workouts and direct evaluations, instead of only receiving a call to join the NFL.
Travis Bush, UTRGV Football head coach, said the program’s role in the process is to help students get more exposure.
“We have a pro day at [UTRGV] in the spring for our seniors,” Bush said. “Whenever the scouts come down, we provide them with [the players’] information.”
From there, the process carries over to the NFL teams that are interested, according to the head coach.
“It’s very similar to the way we recruit high school kids,” Bush said.
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It was that process, along with Graham being from Washington, that landed him an invite from the Seahawks to their “local pro day,” according to the former defensive back.
Bush added during the university’s own pro day is when the team took notice of the defensive back.
“They liked him after the pro day and flew him up to do a workout up there for them,” he said. “So, there’s some interest in a couple of our guys.”
Graham said he was glad to be noticed, and his visit helped him realize how competitive the process can be.
“There were only like three other safeties … and I was like the only small-school guy,” he said. “It showed me, like, ‘OK, this is something serious.’”
However, Graham said what keeps him moving forward is not his passion for football.
“My family motivates me,” he said. “… Everything I’ve been through motivates me.”
Being raised by a young, single mother, Graham said his childhood was surrounded by financial challenges.
“My mom had me at 16,” he said. “… We were low income … and, sometimes, we had to go to relatives to eat.”
Graham added he has not given enough credit to his mom for how hardworking she was and for her impact not only on his football journey but also on his work ethic and morals.
He said his experiences growing up, along with a college journey through multiple schools and setbacks, have helped him build a “battle-tested” mindset, which he believes some scouts look for in players.
Still, even with opportunities, Bush said the odds of landing a spot to play professionally are low.
“There’s so few spots,” he said. “… It’s just a numbers game.”
Graham said he understands the reality of the situation.
“You can put in all the hard work, and you don’t know if you’re gonna get any results,” he said. “Working with no guarantees, that’s the hard part.”
For UTRGV, success is not just achieved by being drafted. Just having “that chance” can be a huge step, according to the head coach.
“If [a player] even gets a look, that’s a big positive,” Bush said. “Then, there’s still other options than the NFL. And if any of our guys can continue playing at any level, then, that’s a huge step for us as a program.”
As of press time, the NFL Draft was in progress.
