MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — Some of the players taken in the late rounds of the NFL draft are available there because of off-the-field concerns.
The extra baggage Brandon Fusco brought to the Minnesota Vikings was his alma mater.
Slippery Rock University is no slouch, but it’s a Division II school where plenty of players with professional-caliber skills struggle to attract attention and get those precious opportunities to make an NFL team.
Slippery Rock players have reached the pros before, but Fusco last year was the first to be invited to the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine, both important skills showcases for NFL prospects. Fusco impressed the Vikings enough that they drafted him in the sixth round and kept him on their active roster all season.
