Like most kids playing at the highschool level, I wasn’t a top recruit. Believe it or not, I got more scholarship offers for track and field than I did for football. I ended up playing Division II at California, PA. I joined the team as a preferred walk-on, but by the end of my freshman year I led the special teams unit in tackles and managed to earn a $1,500 scholarship. As I continued to develop, I earned more and more scholarships which helped me pay for college, but little did I know this was just the beginning of my journey.

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After playing college ball, the harsh reality I was faced with was: Zero combine invites, not even one team called or invited me to their rookie minicamp. Since I didn’t have any invites I went back home and I got a job at a potato chip factory, Utz Potato Chips. I worked as a cornflower mixer in probably 110 degree conditions as I hovered above 600 degree ovens. After that summer job I went back to school to finish up my degree. Now as a regular student with no scholarship I was working part time as a supervisor at UPS. Work began at 9pm and ended around 12-2am depending on the season. I had a full schedule with my first class starting at 8am. Having to balance classes, work, and gym sessions while only eating once a day because that’s all I could afford, became my routine. 

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Growing up I watched a single mother fight and never give up! Raising six kids, and never once complaining or offering an excuse has been a source of motivation for me for as long as I can remember. Since day one, she has always recognized my potential. From high school to even deciding which college to attend all I can remember her saying is “‘Erik, it can’t end like this. It just can’t. You have too much potential, it just can’t end like this’.

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With my Mother’s words ringing in my ears, I knew I had to get back to football. That opportunity came from the Canadian Football League by way of a free agent tryout in Buffalo, New York for the Hamilton Tiger Cats. I drove three hours to Buffalo and paid $80 for the camp registration, and two days later they called me and offered me a contract.

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In 2015 my father, who I’ve only met a handful of times, passed away and I decided to dedicate a game to him in Canada. I said to myself, ” I’m just going to go out there and have fun and play this game for him.” At the time I was not a starter on defense, but injuries happened and they actually had a trick play put in for me. At halftime of that game I was the leading receiver; I had a 55-yard touchdown. I played both ways in that game and made CFL History. I ended that game with a sack, a tackle for loss, an interception, an offensive touchdown, and a special teams tackle. I was the only person in CFL history to do that. As I grew older and established more of a relationship with him, he used to remind me that “someone is always watching.” That quote weighed heavy on my heart that day I set History. 

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In 2016 my friend Delvin Breaux -- who I played with in Canada, signed with the Saints. He puts a word in for me when my time comes up -- I was a year after him -- I got a workout with the Saints and I’ve been in the league since. However, that same year just four games into the season I suffered a torn ACL along with a torn medial and lateral meniscus. I was placed on injured reserve until being waived the following year. My next stop after New Orleans was Oakland….

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My performance in 2017 landed me on the Special Teams Pro-Bowl ballot. Special teams was a huge reason why The Raiders signed me however, going forward I wanted to show people that I can do more than just special teams. I wanted to show my skill set and play making ability on the defensive side. In 2018 that opportunity was rewarded to me while playing 43 percent of defensive snaps. That season ended and I signed an extension. In 2019 I had a career year while my story of Having Faith and overcoming obstacles was shared across the world on Thursday Night Football. NFL Network ran a special on my journey pregame and because of my performance that evening they highlighted me after for a post game interview. 

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Fast forward after ending my 2020 season healthy with the Las Vegas Raiders, I hit free agency. This process has been amazing. I have a lot of people to thank for that. I signed a deal in March 2021. I'm now playing for the Atlanta Falcons and am grateful for the opportunity. I have a lot left to give back to the game. I'm excited to be a part of something that's bigger than me, and lead by example through my actions and character. I want to show the world what can happen when you have faith in God’s plan for our lives, confidence in yourself, and persevere through adverse situations. Anything is possible!