Comeback is an overused word in sports. It can be used to describe a team coming back from a game they appeared out of or an athlete that defeats seemingly insurmountable odds.
Chris Orr is one of many undrafted free agents on NFL rosters this year that are facing an unprecedented situation. Not only are preseason games gone, but with offseason programs conducted virtually, there has been less time than ever before for players to prove they deserve a spot on the roster. On top of that, there are new limits on roster sizes with teams having to cut to 80 players by July 28 or at the latest Aug. 16, if the team chooses to break players up into two different groups for practice. Many won't get an opportunity in camp at all.
A comeback opportunity presents itself, if you will.
Orr isn't trying to overthink the obstacles ahead. The Wisconsin linebacker tore his ACL in 2016, was not invited to the Combine after his senior year and despite watching all seven rounds of the 2020 draft, went unselected.
He grew up as the youngest of four brothers in a football family. His father, Terry, was a tight end in the NFL from 1986 to 1993, winning two Super Bowls in Washington. His eldest brother, Terrance, played football at Texas State and coaches high school football in Texas. And his youngest brother Nick spent the 2018 training camp with the Bears after signing as an UDFA.
His second oldest brother, Zach, played for the Ravens for three years after being signed as a UDFA and was named Second Team All-Pro in 2016, but his career ended abruptly after that season due to a congenital neck/spine condition. He is currently a coaching analyst for the Ravens.
Now, it's the youngest Orr's turn to show what he can do. While awaiting the official start of training camp at Bank of America Stadium, he is staying at veteran teammate Stephen Weatherly's house, the pair share the same agency. Here is some of a conversation Orr had with The Observer last week, edited for clarity.
