Miami's Jimmy Graham returns to the sport he loves

There's a term in sports that accurately describes what the top players on any field have that makes them the best. 

Put simply, they know they're the best. 

Athletic arrogance. 

University of Miami tight end Jimmy Graham sat at a table on Thursday with reporters peppering him with questions and the one feeling that emerged from his performance was that this particular basketball-player-turned-wannabe-football-player has something special. 

He comfortably leans back in his chair as he fields question about his passion for the game. If he loves football so much, they ask, why did he play basketball for four seasons at Miami? Why didn't you play football after the ninth grade in high school, they say. 

It turns out there's a lot you don't know about Jimmy Graham. 

Randy Shannon, the head coach of Miami's football team, impressed by Graham's athletic attributes, approached the power forward as a sophomore in an attempt to recruit him for the football team. The basketball team wouldn't allow it, but the seed was planted in Graham.
He describes football as his true passion but his adoption as a high school freshman by a church youth leader in Goldsboro, North Carolina put an end to the football dream.

He holds nothing against his adopted mother, in fact he points to her as his inspiration and the motivation behind his desire to inspire others. But her placing Graham in Charis Prep, a private Christian high school in Wilson, NC, meant he'd only be playing one sport. Charis didn't field a football team, so Graham's athletic skills could only be shown off on the basketball court.

So when his four-year commitment to Miami basketball ended, he jumped at the chance to return to school to play football, just two weeks before the season began.

There aren't many young men who can accomplish what Graham has already. From switching from one sport to another, which he hadn't played in eight years, to the NFL Combine. When he sits at tables like he did on Thursday afternoon, he realizes what's happening to him. And he soaks up every minute of it. 

"I'm definitely having the time of my life, besides all the doctors poking and prodding on you," Graham said with a smile on Thursday. "It feels special to be selected to show off my talents at this level."

But even after explaining the entire story, there are still those doubters that believe Graham isn't chasing the football dream for the right reasons. He takes the critique in stride and again leans back in his chair, smiles and explains simply that any team that takes a chance on him will quickly see they made a good decision. After all, how many young man turn down more money than they've ever known to take a shot at something that has zero guarantees?

"I think when they look back and see that I turned down all my pro basketball tryouts and all the overseas money, they see that I am sold out for football," Graham said. "I turned down a lot to play this game. I actually had to come back to college to play this game so I think that proves in itself how much I love this game."

He admits that blocking is a weakness in his game, but remains committed to improving it. At Miami, they were simply trying to put his athletic arrogance to the test on the field. In his words, there were three other senior tight ends on the team to do the blocking. His first three catches in college are the proof to what he's implying: Put the ball in my hands and I'll make something happen. Those three catches went for touchdowns.

But now he knows that piece of his game has to improve. He showed strides at the Senior Bowl and said the coaches were encouraged by his day-to-day improvement and progress. He remains willing and ready to learn the discipline.

If there ever was a school that displayed athletic arrogance it's the University of Miami. Though the school in recent years hasn't produced the wins or the players it once did, it's still recognized yearly as a potential hotbed for NFL talent. A Miami player plays with a confidence that's unmistakable.

Graham honestly believes he's got what it takes to be next in line in the lineage of impressive tight ends from Miami that includes Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow. Though his route to the top is a little different, he desires the same result, and then some.

"There have been tons of tight ends to come out of the University of Miami," said Graham. "I'm hoping to be the next great one." 

He's already top of the list in one category. Graham couldn't resist sharing that he's the school's record holder for tight end 40 time. His athletic arrogance baited him to make a prediction on what it would be when he ran this weekend, but he stopped short, saying only that he hoped he'd run it again at the Combine.

Pressed for a number, he leaned back, smiled, and shook his head.

"We'll see on Saturday," was his only response.



(examiner.com)