Northeastern University is not exactly a professional football factory. Dan Ross and Sean Jones came through there, but after that, the cupboard's bare.
The Huskies went 2-10 last year, and haven't had a winning season in five years. So when a guy from Northeastern even gets an invite to the combine, it's a big deal ... which, unfortunately, makes this even sadder.
Tight end Brian Mandeville waited and waited for his invite to the combine, and finally, it came. He ventured out to California to prepare at the Velocity Sports Performance Center. And when the time came to show up at the combine and impress everyone, doctors instead told him that he should retire before he even got started.
How's that for soul-crushing? A guy gets an invite to the combine, which is essentially an audition to make a career out of playing football, and when he gets there, the first thing that happens is that they tell him he has no chance to make a career out of playing football. That's like getting a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Dance right before your advisor takes a baseball bat to your knees.
Doctors performing a routine exam found an issue with one of Mandeville's heart valves and advised him that he should give up football. The issues, according to his agent, aren't life-threatening, but they are career-killing. Even his agent grants that it's unlikely now that Mandeville will have a career in football.
It's a shame. By all accounts, he's a bright and capable young guy, so I'm sure he'll carve out a place for himself in the world. And of course, we all wish him luck with that.
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