Every combine has amazing personal stories.
While we’re all focused on what the prospects say and do at the combine, it’s often the background stories that fascinate. NFL.com’s Kimberly Jones told the story of Penn State edge-rusher Yetur Gross-Matos, whose father died in a drowning accident while trying to save two-year-old Yetur. Nine years later, Gross-Matos’ brother Chelal was killed when he was struck by a bolt of lightning while playing baseball with his brother.
“You’ll never get an explanation,” Yetur told Jones. “There are a bunch of kids, bunch of adults, and two kids playing catch and one ends up getting struck by lightning. And nobody else. One of them survived. One didn’t. When I was younger, it just made me angry. But the situation is the situation, you try to make the best of it.”
Then, there’s Tennessee linebacker Daniel Bituli. Born in the Congo, Bituli and his family had to leave the country when he was 1 ½ years old, because his mother’s life was in danger in a politically fractious environment. The family was relocated to a refugee camp in Cameroon before eventually landing in Nashville when Bituli was 3 years old. He eventually became a star player at Nashville Christian High School, helping the Eagles win their first state title in 2015 before heading off to college.
“This definitely means a lot to me,” he said during the week in Indianapolis. “I’m just trying to be a good role model to kids who are looking up to me right now… I definitely don’t take this position lightly.”