Beacon Journal sports writer
For the first time in perhaps 40 years, three Akron natives and college stars are are expected to be selected in the NFL Draft later this week.
Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, Buckeyes cornerback Doran Grant and West Virginia defensive end Shaquille Riddick know their impending dream-come-true moments will only be strengthened by their friendship and intertwined stories.
“We talk about it all the time,” Grant, a St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate, said in a recent phone interview with the Beacon Journal. “We always knew there’s something special about our city and the kids that were in it.