CHESAPEAKE, Va. - There were times where Derrick Nnadi thought football might not be for him anymore. In high school, he thought about it. In college, he pondered life off the gridiron as well.
Derrick Nnadi during his draft party.
"There were some times where I wanted to quit," Nnadi told News 3. "I've been telling my brother when I first started, I don't know if I can keep doing this man, this is really hard. He always told me just keep pushing keep pushing."
His determination and grit didn't allow him to give up, pushing him from an Ocean Lakes standout, to a Florida State bully in the trenches. In the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, his dreams finally came to fruition.
All of the hard work, the highs and lows, landed him in Kansas City with the 75th overall pick.
Florida State helmet
When his phone rang, the energy in the room, surrounded by family and friends went from nervous, to anxious. "It's finally the moment, the moments now!" Nnadi said when his phone rang. "It's a long time coming."
In four seasons at Florida State, Nnadi tallied 165 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks.
