Cardinals rookie Haason Reddick wants to become a ‘legend’
Jun 6, 2017, 4:00 PM | Updated: 10:22 pm
Arizona Cardinals first-round draft pick Haason Reddick (43) works out during an NFL football rookie minicamp at the team's training facility, Friday, May 12, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
Cardinals rookie inside linebacker Haason Reddick didn’t have an easy journey to the NFL.
Coming out of high school with no scholarship offers, Reddick walked on to Temple and paid his way through college to play the game he loves.
“I never said I’m playing football because it’s going to give me a chance to go to the NFL,” Reddick told Doug and Wolf Tuesday on 98.7 FM, Arizona’s Sports Station. “Never once did that cross my mind; I was just playing it because I wanted to play football.
“I truly played this sport without looking for a reward, didn’t know what was going to come out of it, and because of that I think football rewarded me.”
Reddick was rewarded when the Cardinals selected him 13th overall in the draft, and with the injury to Deone Bucannon, Reddick may be starting for the Cardinals Week 1.
Through OTAs and now into mini-camp, Reddick has had the opportunity to learn the playbook and get to know his teammates and coaches.
“It’s been going good,” Reddick said. “Every day out there just leaning more and more, taking in more insight between Karlos Dansby and then having Footey (inside linebackers coach Larry Foote) as my position coach, just every day learning something new, learning more and more.
“Taking all of their experience and trying to cram it into to the knowledge that I have, which is very little in this league, trying to take something from both of them and apply it into my game.”
Just last year, Reddick had to take out loans to pay his way through college while playing football, and now he will be paid millions to play the sport.
With all that behind him, Reddick said he isn’t coming into the NFL trying to prove those who didn’t believe in him wrong. Instead, he aims to prove himself right.
“No, I’m so hungry,” Reddick said when asked if success is going to change him. “I have so much that I just want to prove to myself, I believe I’m past the point of trying to prove doubters wrong, I’m past the point where I’m trying to do anything for anyone else.
“I’m doing this for myself, I’m just trying to prove to myself and do everything the right way, and I truly want to become a legend in this sport.”
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