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The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made its wages felt by the NFL and its players. Preseason games were canceled along with a compressed training camp schedule that both serve as hindrances for an undrafted player to make it to a roster. New York Jets legend Wayne Chrebet was one of the rare players who were undrafted but went on to land in the team's ring of honor – all thanks to preseason games.
The 47-year old voiced his sentiments regarding the current preseason situation's effect for under the radar players like himself back in the day:
“I think it’s a massive disadvantage,” he told ESPN. “If I was coming out of Hofstra now, I’d have a zero-percent chance to make the team. There wouldn’t be enough opportunities to showcase myself. It would’ve been tough for me. I don’t mind admitting that.”
Chrebet made his name in the amateur football scene during his time in little-known Hofstra in Hempstead, Long Island, New York. He played for four years from 1991-1994 and owned several school records. He set the school's single-game receiving yards record with 245, touchdowns in a game with five, in a season with 16, and in a career with 31. He was also the first player in school history to exceed 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
Despite his success in the collegiate ranks, Chrebet was not a familiar name to professional scouts. He was deemed not fit to play in the league and eventually went undrafted in the 1995 NFL Draft.
He then found himself on a walk-on opportunity with the New York Jets, which trained at Hofstra's campus back then. Chrebet took advantage of the rare chance and managed to make the team's final 53-man roster. He amassed a total of 7,365 receiving yards on 580 receptions and 41 scored touchdowns through eleven seasons.
One chance was all it took for Chrebet to succeed in football and it is unfortunate that the current situation will deny the rookies of the same opportunity to make it to the NFL.
