Phillip Lindsay knows what it’s like to be an underdog.
He was a productive running back during his time at Colorado but he went undrafted because of his size. Despite his undrafted status, Lindsay had a breakout rookie year with the Broncos last season and earned a Pro Bowl nod.
Now one of Lindsay’s college teammate, wide receiver Juwann Winfree, is trying to follow his path to success in the NFL.
“I’m pretty close with Phil Lindsay,” Winfree said on May 11. “We come from the same school. We have the same agent. He was really under looked going through his process, so he just helped motivate me and made sure that you get what you deserve. Make sure you work for what you want. Just have faith in yourself. He always had faith in himself.
“He always believed that he could be a top running back in this league and that he could be a Pro Bowl player. Even undrafted. He came in with that same attitude and that’s something that I’m trying to do myself, coming in with that same attitude to help my team win. I’ve gotten a lot of advice from other athletes in the NFL. It’s been real helpful for me up to this point.”
Winfree didn’t go undrafted but he did slide to the sixth round of the draft because of injuries. With his strong work ethic, Winfree should be able to overcome his low-draft status and find success as a pro.
“It’s just something I was brought up on,” Winfree said of his mentality. “My mom always told me that if you want something you have to go and get it. Go and show you deserve it.
“No matter what was going on [with injuries], I wasn’t going to change who I am. I’m going to come every day with the same attitude and same mentality. I’m going to put the work in. Everything is going to happen for itself. God handles everything the way it should be.”
With that kind of attitude, Winfree should have no problem transitioning to the next level — just like Lindsay did in 2018.
