When will the NFL dreams for former Gryphons come true?

Former Rocky Mount High football teammates Terrell Hudgins and Stephan Virgil knew they wouldn't be picked during today's first round of the NFL draft.

Now, the finger-biting begins. Both Terrell and Stephan are worthy of at least getting a shot with an NFL team. When will they get drafted? Will they get drafted? Will they get the shot they both have dreamed about? Will our Rocky Mount community get to boast of two former Gryphons playing in the NFL?

Many of us have had the opportunity to watch Virgil play on National TV during his career at Virginia Tech. We knew he was good when he caught passes and ran for touchdowns during his Gryphon days, but what about that mind-blowing speed from the corner to block field goal attempts during a games against one of the top college teams in the country? The game against ECU in Charlotte a few years ago immediately comes to mind.

Hudgins broke records set by NFL legend Jerry Rice while catching passes at Elon. I didn't get a chance to see Terrell play college ball, but it stands out to me that those who have seem to agree that the guy is a human highlight reel gone wild.


(photo - The Burlington Times-News)
Hudgins caught seemingly every ball his direction while piling up records while at Elon.

T-Mobile, Terrell's nickname on the Elon campus, showed up for many, many Gryphon Friday night football games after graduating, which says a lot about his ties to the Rocky Mount community and Alma mater. He always seemed to have time to stop and give my mom a hug, which has always made him one of mom's favorites.

Virgil sightings happen over the summers right in my neighborhood, where his parents still live and where he grew up. The car horn blowing and that same hand that swatted down the field-goal attempts and many an opposing quarterback throws to his area of the field would get thrown out the window as he passed by my house on his way into or out of the neighborhood.


(photo from Stephan Virgil's Facebook)
Virgil, with his parents, Richard and Sandra, and daughter Imani

A simple Google of either two's name will bring up tons of Draft information, while YouTube brings up videos of each, from highlights to interviews. take the time to watch and read some of these things if you haven't yet.

Here's hoping a couple of good guys, and truly talented football players, get their chance to become NFL players. The next couple of days will tell. Good luck to both of them.