From his days as a quarterback at Manvel High School, to leading both the University of Houston and the University of Miami, NFL Draft prospect D’Eriq King has always stood out on the field, but it’s who he is off of it that is equally impressive.
“If you talk to a lot of people they’ll all say the same thing-- he’s a great guy,” said Darrell Colbert Jr., who is working with and training King for his big day. “I love his story, I love what he stands for and the work that he puts in to get where he is now.”
King’s story has been filled with adversity. The former college standout had multiple season-ending injuries over his career.
“I was devastated, I was sad,” King said. “I was happy to play football again and then had everything taken from me.”
That includes the loss of his father in 2020 from a heart attack. Every throw and every rep from King is done in his father’s honor.
“Having him gone the last couple of years - it’s been tough,” King said. “He would be super excited. He would be right by my side. He would’ve been super proud of me.”
Now, after months of rehab, King is back on the field, healthy, and hopeful to hear his name called during the NFL draft.
“It’s been a good process,” he said. “It’s been long. It’s a blessing to be here and something that I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.”
That dream comes closer to becoming reality this week - the NFL Draft goes from this Thursday evening until Saturday.
Click the video above to watch KPRC 2′s Chancellor Johnson’s story as he visited King during one of his practice sessions.