Back in 2009, Marquez Valdes-Scantling never imagined he'd be hauling in catches in the NFL. Back then he couldn't even get a spot on the Lakewood Spartans, much less become one of the very few to play football at the highest level.
"I was ready to quit," the rookie WR told Rob Reischel of Forbes.com. "Then me and my dad sat down and talked about it for a few hours. I told him I was ready to quit football, that I didn't want to play anymore. And he told me to use it as motivation. And over time, I kept progressing and getting better and better."
Fast forward nearly a decade later and Valdes-Scantling is fresh off a preseason debut where he hauled in five receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown.
For more on Valdes-Scantling's journey from being cut by his high school squad to being a fifth-rounder making waves in the preseason, check out his feature story on Forbes.com.