
Despite breaking the school record for total offense during his senior year with the Kent State Golden Flashes, Julian Edelman was not invited to the NFL combine.
Click here to listen to the 2-minute version of this article on the “Success is a Choice” podcast network.
He was a successful college quarterback but NFL scouts did not see much of a future for him. It was looking bleak for this college star but then hope.
At the end of 7th and final round of the NFL draft, he received a phone call.

Larry DeSimpelare is the commissioner of the Crossroads League, which is arguably the best NAIA conference in the country when it comes to combining national-level competition and an emphasis on character-building. The Crossroads League has schools from the state of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Before becoming a commissioner, Larry served as a collegiate men’s basketball coach at Cleveland State University, Rutgers University, Kent State University, Eastern Michigan University and Concordia University. Along the way, DeSimpelare helped guide those programs to three league titles, eight NIT berths and four NCAA bids, where he helped Eastern Michigan take out Duke and Cleveland State upend Wake Forest in a pair of opening round upsets.