After thrilling Gators fans for the last few years in a packed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Jeff Demps decided the eschew the NFL Draft with the goal of attaining Olympic immortality on the track.
Upon helping his American teammates to a silver medal in the 4×100-meter dash, it now looks like Demps is going to be able to have his cake and eat it too.
Just like that, faster than you can say, “Jeff Demps, big gain,” a young burner has hit the NFL free-agent marketplace.
University of Florida alum Jeff Demps made the decision following the conclusion of the 2011 college football season not to enter the NFL Draft in order to pursue his lifelong goal of bringing home an Olympic medal.
He loved his time enthralling crowds of 80,000-plus people, all packed into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and to be able to do the same thing in front of thousands more in London and countless millions on television was a dream come true for Demps.
Yet, now that all the ceremonies and festivities and general hullabaloo are all over and done with, it’s time for Mr. Demps to get a day job.
He won’t exactly be posting his resume to Monster.com, however.
Today Demps decided to sign what is called a standard representation agreement with the NFL, meaning that since he was not selected by any teams on the day (scratch that, three commercial-filled days) of the NFL Draft, he will be free to sign with whomever shows an interest in a 5-foot-9, 190-pounder with 2,470 career rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns to his name.
Not to mention NCAA national championships in both the 60-meter dash and the 100-meter dash in indoor and outdoor track, respectively.
Again, not, for instance, your standard sales job resume, but it feels like something might be missing. Did we mention a silver medal?
“Bullet” Bob Hayes, of Jacksonville, Fla., is still the only person to have won both a gold medal and a Super Bowl ring, having dominated the 1964 Games in Tokyo before switching to football and earning his ring with the Cowboys in SB VI.
Should Demps choose carefully, a silver medal and a Super Bowl championship will cement this former Gators’ place in history.
Or, if this were a McWorld, he’d sign with the New York Jets and be reunited with our very own Tim Tebow.
Hey, if could happen.