METAIRIE, La. – New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed knew he was meant to play football.
He could’ve taken a different road and become a track star, with schools like USC in pursuit.
Shaheed's parents both ran track in college. His father, Haneef, was a sprinter at Arizona State, and his mother, Cassondra, ran the 400-meter hurdles at San Diego State.
Despite winning the San Diego section titles in the 200 and 400 at Mt. Carmel High School, Rashid knew that wasn’t his path. During his senior year, teary-eyed, he implored his parents to understand that football was the sport he loved.