RENTON, Wash. – Even though only a tiny percentage of college football players wind up getting a chance to play in the NFL, as Seattle Seahawks rookie tackle Mike Jerrell can attest, the saying “it’s a small world” can still apply.
Coming from a tiny Division II program at Findlay University, Jerrell played against inferior competition to his fellow incoming rookies, and connections to the league are few and far between at that level. But in an interesting twist of fate, he played on the Oilers offensive line alongside guard Yosef Carter, the cousin of NFL veteran George Fant, who just happened to re-sign with the Seahawks in March after spending four seasons in New York and Houston.
Unlike most small school prospects trying to make the leap from a lower level division to the NFL, with Fant happily back in the Pacific Northwest, Jerrell had a built-in connection to help with the challenging transition. Heading towards OTAs and eventually his first training camp, he spent time training with his new mentor in his first offseason, allowing him to be better prepared to face off against NFL competition on the practice field.
“It felt like having another brother,” Jerrell said prior to Wednesday’s training camp practice. “George and my brother actually are like the same age, and George actually has the same birthday as my mom, so that was kind of crazy. But it’s been fun. I really enjoy working with George. He’s a great mentor to look up to and a big brother that taught me a lot and just gave me a better perception on how to be a pro. He showed me the ropes of how to be a pro.”
When comparing the unique paths Jerrell and Fant each took to the NFL, both players entered the league as developmental curiosities due to their athletic traits and measurables.
Formerly a college basketball player at Western Kentucky who played minimal college football for the school, Fant worked out for teams at multiple positions at his pro day, ultimately catching the attention of the Seahawks as a tackle and signing as an undrafted free agent. Even with that lack of experience, he started 10 games at left tackle as a rookie, flashing promise in limited action despite his rawness as a player.
Like Fant, Jerrell starred on the basketball court before finding real success on the gridiron at Pike High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Transitioning from tight end to tackle as a senior, he earned All-State honors, but he didn’t have any Division I offers on the table. After seeing him excel as a hooper, Findlay offered him a scholarship and he spent his first couple years on campus hitting the weight room before finally being installed as a full-time starter in 2021.
Garnering All-American honors in his final two seasons for the Oilers, Jerrell landed a spot in the Hula Bowl all-star showcase and worked out at Ohio State’s pro day, impressing scouts in attendance as he stacked up favorably against the Buckeyes’ top prospects. A far more polished player than Fant was back in 2016, the Seahawks took a flier on him by drafting him in the sixth round in April, hoping to strike gold with his top-tier athletic traits accelerating his development as an NFL caliber tackle.
Though their journeys weren’t identical by any means, Jerrell couldn’t possibly have a better tutor than Fant, who recently turned 32 years old and will be playing in his eighth NFL season this fall after breaking into the league as an untested ex-basketball player. Now with more than 1,000 snaps under his belt at both tackle spots in stints with the Seahawks, New York Jets, and Texans, he’s enjoyed the chance to take another underdog with similar traits and upside under his wing.
“Right away, he was one of the first guys to come and talk to me, ask me questions. We knew a lot of mutual people,” Fant said. “I’ve been able to work with him quite a bit these last couple weeks. I’m excited for him. I feel like we kind of athletic background a little bit, he’s a really good athlete and I think he’s going to be a good player in the future.”
Thus far, taking advantage of the advice he received from Fant behind the scenes leading up to report day, Jerrell hasn’t been starstruck or intimidated in his first NFL training camp. In fact, he has looked like he belongs, including winning 1-on-1 blocking reps against the likes of Boye Mafe and Derick Hall during the first three padded practices, demonstrating solid technique and the athleticism to hold his own against NFL defenders.
While he has flashed in drill work, Jerrell hasn’t had many opportunities yet to show what he can do in a team setting for Seattle with Fant and second-year blocker McClendon Curtis ahead of him on the depth chart at right tackle and undrafted rookie Garret Greenfield also in the mix for playing time. He did see more snaps in Thursday’s practice, a sign that he may be earning himself more chances with the annual mock game and preseason opener on the horizon.
Now with eight practices under his belt, Jerrell indicated he has had to clean up his first step off the snap and refine his hand placement among other technical aspects of his game to give himself a chance to succeed, and those areas very much remain works in progress. He’s also learned by fire that he has to be able to effectively mix up his pass sets to keep instinctive, athletic pass rushers in front of him.
“You got to make sure you’re on point every single play, you’re paying attention to your technique, and making sure you’re getting off the ball because that first step is the most important step. If you struggle with that, then everything else is set up for disaster. I focused on that a lot during my break and OTAs, just getting my first step staying square, making sure my hands are in the right place.”
Looking back at his unexpected rise from little-known Division II recruit to All-American to NFL draft choice, Jerrell couldn’t be more pleased with what he’s achieved to this point against long odds. When he was catching touchdowns as a junior varsity tight end in high school nearly a decade ago, college football didn’t look to be part of his future, let alone playing in the pros.
But far from content after being drafted, simply making it to the league isn’t his end game. Now that he’s with the Seahawks and has the perfect mentor at his disposal, Jerrell plans to follow in Fant’s footsteps with the goal of improving his craft every day and staking his claim to a roster spot in 2024 and beyond.
“I didn’t come from a football school and come from a great football background. And to be able to be here and get drafted and have the chance to make the active roster and things like that, looking back 10 years ago, if I would if I would have told them I was gonna be getting drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, they would have laughed at me. Just to see how far I’ve always stayed the course, worked hard, put my head down, do whatever the coaches asked me to do, plus more, and I would say I’m proud of myself.”
