As the NFL season quickly approaches, teams are narrowing down their rosters from 75 to just 53. Fifty-three is the number that each team may carry into the regular season, and 53 is the number that every team must reach to by Saturday at 4 p.m.
And for former Cal wide receiver Chris Harper, needing 53 men was just enough for him to make his way onto the roster of the New England Patriots.
Harper decided not to return for his senior season at Cal to enter the 2015 NFL Draft. But he was not invited to take part in the NFL Combine — a huge snub for any potential draft pick.