National Football League

By staying in school, NFL Draft hopeful Grady Jarrett defied the odds

Published Apr. 28, 2015 10:47 a.m. ET

Ross Jones

Grady Jarrett needed a reminder his birthday fell two days before the NFL Draft.

Preparing for the life-changing event has completely consumed the former Clemson defensive tackle's life since his collegiate career concluded nearly four months ago.

"That's right ... I keep forgetting things like that," Jarrett said with a laugh. "There's a lot to celebrate this time of year. I'm just eager to find out where I'll be going."

Jarrett, 22, could have gone into the draft last year, but the six-foot, 304-pound lineman, didn't even turn in his paperwork to get a grade back from the NFLPA advisory committee. Instead, Jarrett wanted to spend the last year at school refining his game on the field, getting stronger in the weight room and finishing his degree -- which he did in three and a half years.

The entire year has been committed to positioning himself higher in the draft, where he is projected to go in the second round. Furthermore, Jarrett wanted to prepare himself to be able to sustain success at the next level. Named team captain his senior season, Jarrett thrived in the role.

"Everybody respected him because of what he did on the field," Clemson associate head coach/defensive tackles Dan Brooks said. "He took total leadership over the team. It wasn't just the d-line group or defense, it was the whole team. Grady was the guy. He earned that respect.

"As a player, he continued to get better. He always had great quickness, but he became a much more physical player. He's a weight room guy. He likes to grind. He got after it in there. He went about his senior year on a mission."

From how he trained, to what he ate and even being mindful of getting a quality sleep schedule, no detail was too small to overlook.

Putting in the extra work has always been the difference for a player who has often been doubted since he was a child. During high school in Georgia, Jarrett would cap football practice by making the 30-mile drive north from Conyers to Duluth to workout.

"You hear that he has chip on his shoulder," said Elisha, Jarrett's mother. "That's because he gets knocked for his height. He is that kid, though, when you tell him he can't, that's when you are unleashing the tiger."

Jarrett played as a true freshman and then blossomed during his sophomore season at Clemson. Over the last three years, Jarrett racked up 80 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

If there was a place on the football field where height wouldn't be considered such a factor, one would assume in the trenches is where that would reside. But in the NFL, teams put a premium on pass rushers who have great length.

St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) is the exception, but several prospects over the past three years have been deemed of an early-round draft pick. New England's Dominique Easley (2014), Atlanta's Ra'Shede Hageman (2014), New York's Sheldon Richardson (2013), Carolina's Star Lotulelei (2013), Kansas City's Dontari Poe (2012) and Philadelphia's Fletcher Cox (2012) all stand 6-foot-2 or taller.

Height, of course, isn't the end-all, be-all when it comes to projecting production from the position, though.

"I've had the tall ones," said Brooks, recalling from his coaching days at the University of Tennessee. "I've had Albert Haynesworth and John Henderson lining up next to each other. One was 6-foot-5, the other was 6-foot-7. Then I've had Aubrayo Franklin and Dan Williams who are closer to Grady's size. Both were very productive. We took two undersized guys in Grady's class and they'll both play on Sundays."

All that type of talk continues to fuel Jarrett.

While he can't exactly pinpoint where the chip on his shoulder comes from, he certainly agrees it's there â and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

"I feel like I can compete with the best and I always have and I was never recognized for it," Jarrett said. "I feel like I have to get better every day. That chip just makes me a better player. It's an accumulation of a lot of things and it's never going to leave. I'm just determined to be the best that I can be."

Before Clemson's coaching staff offered Jarrett a scholarship in his senior year of high school, his determination was evident. Invited to a summer camp, Jarrett used the opportunity to his advantage.

"It was like he wasn't going to be denied," Brooks said. "He whipped everybody we had here. He came with that mission in mind. He was never satisfied with where he was at. He has good innate quickness. He used that to his advantage. He won a lot of battles (by being faster) than the guy in front of him, but at the same time he was strong enough to win physically."

Jarrett's competitive nature and effort burns bright.

During his youth, Jarrett looked up to Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. In fact, Jarrett considers Lewis an uncle-like mentor and the two share a unique bond. Lewis, a future Hall of Fame linebacker, was also knocked for his lack of height before he was selected 26th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Ravens.

"We just recently talked about that," Jarrett said. "You let people talk. You can't control your height. I'm confident I have what it takes to be the best to play the game. Being around a guy like that, he's one of the most inspirational people I know. He's been a very important part of my life."

Not concerned with where he goes, Jarrett has been enjoying the process and eager for the excitement and anticipation to become a reality. Of course, he wouldn't mind hearing his name called sooner rather than later.

Being a first-round pick would certainly be the ultimate icing on the cake.