When Green Bay Packers receiver Reggie Begelton was deciding where he wanted to go to college, playing professional football wasn’t even on his mind. Instead, he was focused on earning a degree so he could work in a local chemical plant.
“I thought it would be cool if I got the opportunity. Coming out of high school, I didn’t have any offers,” Begelton said Saturday. “The area that I live in has a lot of chemical plants, so I wanted to get a good job in a chemical plant. That was really my mindset. I liked football, and maybe I could go out there and have some fun. At the end, it turned out that I actually did pretty good and I could go further than this. That dream was still alive by the time I got to my redshirt sophomore year.”
The wide receiver attended Lamar University as a walk on. At Lamar, Begelton dominated. He caught 227 passes for 2,435 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Even though he put up record-breaking numbers, Begelton still wasn’t able to earn a spot on an NFL roster or practice squad. He was invited to two rookie minicamps but wasn’t signed to either team.
But he took what was given to him. Although Begelton wasn’t wanted by any NFL squads, he found an opportunity with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. On the Stampeders, Begelton caught 102 passes for 1,444 yards and 10 touchdowns during a breakout 2019 season.
Begelton proved doubters wrong at Lamar, he defied the odds in Calgary, and now he will look to earn a spot on the Packers’ 53 man roster.
“It’s truly a blessing for me, I am just trying to have fun with it. At the end of the day, I can say that I had the opportunity. And that is all I have ever asked for.”
Just for Begelton to get to this point, it has taken a lot of hard work and dedication. And if he is going to earn a roster spot, the wide receiver knows that he has to continue to work, and be a sponge around players like Davante Adams.
“I wake up every day knowing that I can only control what I can control. You have to go with that mindset or you will really drive yourself crazy because you will make mistakes. It is human nature to make mistakes. But can you learn from those mistakes? That is what the coaches want to see. Honestly, I am just going out there and giving the best of my abilities. Hopefully, by the end of the day, I will still get that opportunity.”
Transitioning from the CFL to the NFL won’t be easy. Not only are the rules different, but the talent gap is huge.
“Everything is a lot quicker because the space is reduced. However, at the end of the day, it is still football. The fact that I really didn’t have an offseason program, where I was actually doing the things. I already came in at a disadvantage. But, you can’t use that as an excuse. You have to come in and you have to put in the work.”
Begelton said the key is “playing fast.”
“Once I’m able to play fast, I can be really dangerous. I truly believe that,” Begelton said.
The Packers don’t have exceptional depth at the wide receiver position, so Begelton will have the chance to step up and become a contributor during the 2020 season. And a chance is all that Begelton has ever wanted.
In a week, he’ll know his fate in terms of making the initial roster in Green Bay. Sunday’s scrimmage at Lambeau Field will play a big factor in whether or not he makes it.
“I’m going to wake up in the morning and be like, ‘It’s a good day to play football.’ And I’m going to go out there and give it my best,” Begelton said.
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