When the Patriots drafted Lenoir-Rhyne’s Kyle Dugger, Dugger’s own coaches were surprised.
In a profile written by The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, those who played a role in helping the Division II prospect get to the NFL admitted that his journey was both unprecedented and unexpected. He was a talented point guard on the basketball court at Whitewater High School in Fayetteville, Ga., but the safety did not even make their varsity football team until his junior year. By his senior signing day, he only had two football offers — from Lenoir-Rhyne and Reinhardt, an NAIA school.