We all know it is extremely difficult to make the NFL. A kid from Northeastern (Brian Mandeville) actually had a shot, which is a big deal for a school that hasn't had a winning season since 2003. Brian was invited to California to prepare at the Velocity Sports Performance Center for the NFL combine, while there he found out during a routine physical that he had a heart problem that will end his career before it even got started. It's a sad end for any kid, who works that hard only (to not fault of his own) be cut short for medical reasons. A friend of mine (Andrew Brecher from Harvard) went through a very similar thing, as he was going to be signed by the Cowboys, but was sent home after they found a problem with his back. He is still trying to make the NFL today, but stories like this make you realize what a lot of these guys go through, and not all of them have a happy ending. I think it has to be the hardest when it isn't that you're not talented enough, but rather that your body just can't do it anymore.
