It’s been a long road for Damariay Drew, but he earned his shot with the Kansas City Chiefs.
#Chiefs waive WR Jamari Staples and S Devin Chappell and sign TE Orson Charles and S Damariay Drew.
— Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) June 1, 2017
Drew joined the California Golden Bears in 2012—Jeff Tedford’s final year—which he redshirted. Drew played in all twelve games of the 2013 season before an off-field incident led him to a dismissal from the program, leading to him playing the 2014 season with Butte College. Returning to Berkeley, Drew started 11 games in 2015 and was poised for a big senior season until an ACL injury during Spring Football ended his college career. Throughout this tumultuous career, he’s been credited with two game-saving interceptions in 2015.
Drew’s on-field play has been overshadowed by his off-the-field story. He is notorious for the 2014 skirmish that involved a few players, a frat, and a dog. Still, Drew made the most of the mistake by learning from it and becoming a better person. More importantly, the off-field story that should dominate Drew’s tale is his determination to graduate from UC Berkeley—spurning an offer from the national powerhouse Florida State Seminoles—in order to fulfill a promise to his mother.
Drew made a critical mistake—we all have. But instead of letting it take over his life, he learned from it and his story of redemption and growth should be enough reason for fans to root for him.
Good luck, Damariay!