Former Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is a Rocket by school and a moon shot by career arc.
In an NFL draft green room Thursday night filled with players from time-tested brands such as LSU, Alabama and Ohio State, Mitchell is the lone player among the 13 invitees to hail from a program outside a power conference.
His path there is remarkable, rising from a three-stoplight Florida town with a population of less than 3,000.
In this most transient era of college football, Mitchell's story stands out as a testament to permanence. He received so little recruiting attention that he courted Toledo by rapid-fire liking the Twitter posts of a staff member, the social media version of a suitor throwing pebbles at a window.