A senior season cancelled by the pandemic and a couple of cruel twists of fate surrounding his pro day led to Illinois State safety Christian Uphoff going undrafted over the weekend.
Now he’s motivated to show the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL that he belongs.
The Packers signed Uphoff as an undrafted free agent, giving him a $7,000 signing bonus, according to Bob McGinn of The Athletic.
“It’s going to give me more motivation to come in there and kick somebody’s ass,” Uphoff told McGinn. “I’m telling you, I’m fast. My hamstring is 100 percent now. I can’t wait to get there and show these guys.”
Why does Uphoff mention his hamstring? He apparently had an injured hamstring in the weeks leading up to his pro day, and when the pro day finally rolled around, the weather was miserable. Uphoff ran 4.6, sealing his fate as an undrafted free agent.
In 2019, Uphoff was an emerging defensive star in the FCS while tallying 70 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, nine pass breakups and two interceptions. He put himself on the NFL map with a combination of production, size (6-2, 209) and athleticism.
But Illinois State’s fall season was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and when the Senior Bowl came calling, Uphoff ditched ideas to play during the spring season and declared for the draft.
Just one bad workout – no matter the circumstances – can be the difference between hearing your name called during the draft and going undrafted, especially for an FCS player with just one year of starting experience.
Uphoff will get his chance to prove he belongs. The Packers took two cornerbacks in the draft but no safeties. Uphoff, who was ranked as the 187th best player in the class by Pro Football Focus, will have a chance to earn a roster spot as a reserve safety or potentially even a role on defense as the dime linebacker. That fits what Illinois State had him do. He played all over the defense, mixing in snaps deep, in the box and in the slot.
Uphoff was one of the top undrafted defensive backs following the 2021 draft. The Packers will provide an opportunity for him to show there’s more to him as a football player than one bad workout on one good leg.
