NORFOLK, Va. - The NFL Draft begins next Thursday, and it will be an event unlike we've seen. This year, due to the coronavirus, NFL Draft prospects have been unable to showcase their talents for NFL teams.
However, former Old Dominion University standout Zach Pascal, and NFL receiver who uses his hands to catch, says this year's NFL Draft prospects need to use their hands to control what they can control.
"You can't make a team want to look at you," Pascal explained to News 3 Sports Director Adam Winkler via FaceTime Tuesday. "You can only control you work ethic, what you do on the field - what you do off the field."
And once Pascal got on the field, it's been nearly impossible to keep him off it. After going undrafted in 2017 despite leaving ODU as the program's all-time leading receiver, Zach was cut four times in a nine-month span - by a pair of NFL teams.
"The toughest part was being able to stay in love with the process of my story," Pascal recalled. "The hardest thing was getting released and then still trying to have a positive mindset. This is just a stop in my story, I'm going to keep going."
After signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, Pascal has played in every game the last two seasons. In 2019, he led the team in receiving yards, touchdowns and targets. Last year, the Colts signed him to a new two-year contract.
"It feels good right now," Zach said smiling. "I'm able to help my family out. But, I'm still locked in. Because, regardless of how much success you have, you still have to grind because every play is not guaranteed. I'm going to stay locked in."
Zach is locked in. And he's also proof the NFL Draft is not the key to a player's success story in the league.
