Playing in the NFL: A Dream Yannick and I Share

Story by Vaughn Taylor. Photo by Denver Broncos.

May 11, 2017: I am writing this story about former Knight and current Jacksonville Jaguar, Yannick Ngakoue because he is where I hope to be one day. In about three to four years, I hope to be an NFL football star. Becoming an NFL football player has been a career I've been pursuing since I was a little boy.

The National Football League is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided between two conferences which are the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The average NFL salary for a player is $1.9 million per year.

In order to become an NFL athlete, you must at least have three years of college completed. Those who are invited to the NFL combine must perform well in the 40-yard dash, bench press for reps (225lbs) and their drills which vary by position. If you are not invited, it is a little harder to become an NFL athlete. You must have great skill, speed, tenacity, and the measurables.

As an NFL athlete, you are responsible for taking care of your body and performing well on the field. Off the field, you must conduct yourself in an orderly fashion because the media will do their best to break you down which could lead to the termination of your contract. I had the chance to speak with Yannick himself. I had him answer a few questions:

Vaughn: What made you want to become an NFL football player?

Yannick: I became an NFL player because I saw this was a way I could feed my family for a very long time.

Vaughn: Who was your inspiration and why?

Yannick: My mother was my inspiration due to the fact that she worked every single day from Monday through Sunday.

Vaughn: What sacrifices did you have to make in order to pursue your dreams?

Yannick: In order to pursue my dreams I had to separate myself and become a leader.

Vaughn: How did you feel once you received that call that you were going to be drafted?

Yannick: It felt like everything I always worked for became true when I received a phone call from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Vaughn: What has life in the NFL been like for you so far?

Yannick: Life in the NFL has been great because it's a privilege to wear that NFL shield on your chest, a huge blessing.

Based on my conversation with Yannick, the NFL is definitely a career that I want to pursue because it is something that few people get a chance to do and much like Yannick I would like to use football to take care of my family.

Vaughn Taylor is a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.