Former Maryland football player Monte Gaddis has dreams of making it in the NFL, and he will stop at nothing to get his opportunity. The 23-year-old, who went un-drafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, decided to take a more unconventional approach in an effort to achieve his goal of playing in the pros. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week, Gaddis stood outside of the Cleveland Browns headquarters in Berea, Ohio with a sign that read, “Starving for my first shot…why not?” Since he couldn’t get to the NFL the traditional way, the former linebacker hoped that his plan would help him to stand out in a different way.
Well, it looks like after three days of waiting, he finally got somebody’s attention. And not just anybody, but Browns general manager Ray Farmer. On Wednesday, Farmer approached Gaddis and asked him why he was waiting outside of the facility.
“I told him I felt this was the best route I had since I didn’t have an agent or anything,” Gaddis said. “I told him, ‘Hey, it got you to come across the street to talk to me. I think I did a good job.’ He chuckled, so it was a good feeling.”
After the two of them met, Farmer actually agreed to give Gaddis a fair shot and asked for a copy of his game tape, which he eagerly brought back to the complex later that day.
That’s dedication if I’ve ever seen it. Who knows…it might just work!
