Maysonet

From the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft to Mr. Irrelevant, former Stony Brook student Miguel Maysonet watched closely with his family and friends. All were hoping to hear the running back’s name called, making him the first Stony Brook University student to be drafted into the NFL. The seventh round had come and gone, and Maysonet hadn’t received his phone call.
This year’s NFL draft was very bottom heavy, filled with mid-to-late round talent, and Maysonet fell victim to small school credentials on his resume.
Still, the back didn’t have to wait long after the draft to get signed to a NFL contract. Within half an hour of its end, Miguel Maysonet chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles after reviewing offers from a list of teams. He joins a Philly squad that didn’t draft a running back this year, but does have three backs currently on the depth chart: star LeSean McCoy, last year’s standout Bryce Brown, and Chris Polk.
Maysonet will have to fight for a spot on the Eagles 53-man roster, but gaining a positive spotlight while powering through adversity, has never been an issue for the Long Island native.
Miguel Maysonet had a tough childhood, with a single mother working multiple jobs to support her family in their cramped apartment with a slanted roof. Nothing was easy or close to ideal for Maysonet, but his close relationship with his mother helped pull him through, and football was his escape.
From humble beginnings, Maysonet has gone through a whirlwind of events; he attended Hofstra University, only to have the football program shut down during his tenure. Then joining a small school program in Stony Brook, Maysonet worked his way to national spotlight via ESPN’s Top-10 Plays. He was one of a relatively small list of players invited to the NFL Combine. And now, though not being drafted as hoped, he still gained a precious roster spot on a team not too far from home.
During a Q&A session with students from his alma mater’s School of Journalism, Miguel Maysonet spoke about his experience and the reality of joining the NFL. He described the unseen mental aspect of the combine.
“You guys don’t see the fours a night that we get interviewed, being asked the same question over and over again,” he said. “That Friday morning, I literally took tests [from] 8am to 2pm.”
Maysonet also mentioned the positive aspects of the combine, including meeting the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens and visiting the Under Armour, Nike and Adidas suites.
Maysonet will now enters the NFL, home of high salaries and endorsements, making the Stony Brook University community and Seawolves fans everywhere proud.