Dravon Askew-Henry had envisioned turning pro since he first played football as a 4-year-old. He expected to be in the NFL before he could legally buy beer.
A torn ACL on the eve of his junior season at West Virginia delayed the jump by two years. During the 2019 NFL Draft, the defensive back retreated to the basement of his family home in tears as an awkward party took place without his name being called.
This winter, the 26-year-old father of two young boys was working as a warehouse stocker in his hometown of Aliquippa, Pa., when he learned that his dream was not dead. The USFL was set to relaunch.
He was lucky. He was in shape. Most days, he had been rising before the sun to complete workouts before clocking in to work, hoping a roster spot would open somewhere. Anywhere.
