Neiron Ball has had a life of sorrow, and once had to fight for his own. Now, he's got a chance to play in the NFL.
Florida linebacker Neiron Ball will get an NFL shot — the Oakland Raiders drafted him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, with the round's 25th pick and the 161st seletion overall.
Ball's story cannot be told without first mentioning how close he came to having it cut short, and how difficult it was early. Both of his parents died before he turned 10, leaving him to be raised largely by his grandmother.