The process of actually realizing that I could potentially play in the NFL didn't happen until after I arrived at Illinois.I went up against a lot of good players throughout my five years at Illinois. With that, I was able to see a good amount of those guys get drafted or even just sign as a free agent.
Being able to compete with those guys at such a high level in the Big Ten was an eye-opener for me that the NFL could be a possibility when my career ended at Illinois.
The hardest defensive linemen I blocked against during my time at Illinois is a toss-up between my former teammate, Dawuane Smoot, and former Ohio State lineman Joey Bosa, who are both in the NFL now.