Sometimes, you were born to do something, even if you grew up having never seen it.

Born and raised in Ghana, Ezekiel Ansah was an excellent student and natural athlete.  He received an academic scholarship from BYU, and tried out for the basketball team (which he did not make), but did earn a spot in track.  With his size, Ansah was persuaded to try out for football, and despite not even knowing how to put on shoulder pads, he made the team.  Three years later, he had impressed scouts so much that he was the Fifth Overall Pick in the 2013 Draft.

Taken by the Detroit Lions, Ansah became a starter as a rookie, and proved quickly he was a very good pass rusher.  Ansah made the Pro Bowl in 2015 off of a 14.5 Sack year, and he had another double-digit Sack year (12) in 2017.  He recorded 50.5 Sacks over his eight NFL seasons; six with Detroit, and one each in Seattle and San Francisco.  What a career for someone who never picked up a football until college!

After a decent career at Eastern Carolina, Dwayne Harris was a late round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2011, where he would serve mostly in Special Teams.

Harris was strong not just as a Returner but as a Gunner, which allowed him to enjoy a ten-year career in the National Football League.  A Cowboy for his four years, Harris was a New York Giant over his next three seasons, where he was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2016.  He also played for Oakland where he led the NFL in Yards per Punt Return in 2018.  Harris closed his career with a year in Chicago in 2020.

David DeCastro, an All-American at Stanford, was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers as their First Round (24th Overall) Pick in the 2012 Draft. Unfortunately, he was only able to play four games as a rookie due to an injury, but he has been relatively healthy since then. He played at Right Guard until the end of the 2020 Season. In 2015, DeCastro was chosen for the Pro Bowl, and he continued to earn that accolade for six consecutive years. Additionally, he has been a First Team All-Pro twice.

However, DeCastro sustained an injury that kept him out of the entire 2021 Season. As a result, the team released him, and he subsequently retired. Despite this setback, DeCastro will be remembered as one of the better Tackles in Steelers history.

Andrew Miller had a long career.  He was initially used as a low-rotation starter, and he threw for Florida and Detroit, but he was not terribly effective.  His third team, Boston, moved him to the bullpen, and eventually, the lanky 6’ 7” southpaw found his groove.  The Red Sox traded the soon-to-be Free Agent to Baltimore, and in 2015, he signed with the New York Yankees.

Miller thrived in pinstripes and was used deep in games.  He won the closer’s role, saving 36 Games, finishing tenth in Cy Young voting and winning the American League Reliever of the Year Award.  With Ardolis Chapman and Dellin Betances, the Yankees had an embarrassment of riches in the pen, and as good as Miller became, he was traded mid-season to Cleveland for four players.  He finished the regular season with a 10-1 Record, a 1.4.5 ERA and a WHIP under 0.700.  An All-Star for the first time while still in New York, he was ninth in Cy Young Voting, and he was vital in Cleveland’s playoff success, winning the ALCS MVP off of 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits. 

An All-Star again in 2017 (4-3, 1.44 ERA, 0.830 WHIP), Miller was not as effective after but still played until 2021, with his final three years in St. Louis.

Miller appeared in 612 Games over 16 Seasons with 979 Strikeouts.