GREEN BAY, Wis: (WFRV) – The road to making an NFL roster is never easy for undrafted free agents, and Reggie Begelton is a prime example of perseverance paying off. The 27-year-old former Canadian football league wide receiver earned a spot on the practice squad last year, and he’s hoping to be on the Packers 53 man roster to start the season.
“Year two I’m more fluent. I can actually run a lot faster without thinking. I can play football instead of just trying to run lines on paper,” said Begelton. “Just a year in the system, you know having it during the off-season, you take good notes. You practice and you’re out there, and you’re constantly running routes. It’s the only way you can get good at it. If you keep doing it over and over and over again, that’s the emphasis for me.”
Last year Begelton didn’t have a reception or a tackle on special teams, but he did make his NFL debut against Atlanta, and he realizes that it’s a moment to cherish forever.
“I got on the field and did warm-ups and was just smiling my butt off the whole time. I was like oh my gosh, this is it, that’s when I really found out and felt like I really made it, said Begelton, “But it’s short-lived because this is a business, and I do have a job and I have to get back focused and realize that you can’t dwell on the small wins, you have more to accomplish.”
On paper, Green Bay has one of the deepest wide receiving groups in the NFL, but that doesn’t deter Begelton when looking at the depth chart.
“The way I look at it is, it’s actually fun. If it was easy, would you really enjoy the process? Especially when you come out successful at the end,’ said Begleton. You could say I’m behind the eight ball, but I’m not looking at it that way. I’m going out there and doing what I can do. I know what I can do and I’m trying to take advantage of every opportunity that I personally can get. So I’m making this fun, I know it’s a competitive room, like I said at the end of the day it’s fun.”
Saturday nights game against the Texans will be the first chance against an opponent for players to show their skills individually, and Begelton is excited about it the opportunity.
“Do you remember what got you here? Honestly, it’s talking to others who’ve been through the process, or listening to podcasts, or listening to real world people that actually have real struggles in everything,” said Begelton. “Some people see football as only a sport and we’re here to play football, and we’re not really hitting real life adversity. But it’s all intertwined. It’s all respective, but if you can understand and listen to what other people are going through, you realize you can’t feel sorry for yourself. So I have to go out there every day, and this is an opportunity not too many people get, so I need to take advantage of it.”
