Life comes at you fast as an NFL rookie, even faster if you didn’t expect to be in training camp.
“I get a call from Denver on a Wednesday morning and I was on a flight two hours later in Denver, so everything happened very fast,” said Mark Chapman, a rookie receiver. “Honestly, I’m still trying to pick up the pieces right now.”
Chapman looks like any other un-drafted guy trying to make it in the NFL except he was drafted……. by the Canadian Football League. Not only drafted but he was the top overall pick by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
“The Hamilton Tiger-Cats is an outstanding organization that I was really excited to play for but another door opened up and I had to take it,” Chapman said after practice Wednesday afternoon at the UC Health Training Center.
“A stand out receiver for Central Michigan University, he left mini camp with the New York Giants without a contract and it looked like he was headed north of the border before a fateful call came in from the Broncos.
“Don’t close the door on the NFL because it’s always been my dream and a goal of mine to come and compete. So we always thought, until the season starts, don’t close that door and it ended up working out and I’m getting a shot now.”
Carlos Henderson and Jimmy Williams didn’t report to camp, leaving the Broncos had two open roster spots, filling one of them with Chapman.
He is fighting up hill in Denver, trying to stand out from the likes of rookies Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton at 6’0″ 180 lbs, but if anyone believes in Chapman? It’s himself.
“You have to have self belief and that’s something that I strive for,” Chapman said. “That’s something that I was instilled with at a young age; waking up everyday, and the self talk has to be positive at all times otherwise you’ll lose yourself in this game.”
