It is not an easy task to stick in the NFL, but a former Illinois football player has found himself with a big contract.
Getting to the NFL is extremely hard. There are so many talented players in the country, and only a select number of people make an NFL roster. Just look at some past Illini greats who had a hard time sticking in the league. Martez Wilson, Michael Buchanan, and Kurt Kittner are a few names that come to mind who had great Illinois careers but struggled to catch on in the NFL.
So, just making it to the NFL is a massive accomplishment. Landing a second contract is something that is even harder.
On Monday evening, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that former Illinois defensive back Nate Hobbs is signing a four-year, $48 million contract with the Green Bay Packers. This contract also comes with a $16 million guarantee, according to the social media post.
Nate Hobbs went from unknown Illinois football recruit to star cornerback in the NFL
Hobbs’ rise in the football ranks has been quite impressive. Coming out of Louisville Male High School in Kentucky, Hobbs was only a two-star recruit by 247Sports. He had a handful of scholarship offers, but Illinois was by far his biggest.
Needing a ton of help on the roster, then-head coach Lovie Smith threw Hobbs to the wolves. He inserted him into the first string, as Hobbs started 10 games as a true freshman and played in all 12 contests. He also notched a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
Throughout his Illinois career, nothing was smooth for Hobbs. In his first two seasons, the Illini managed a total of six wins. By year three, Illinois finally made a bowl game. In all four years combined, Illinois had a total of 14 victories. Everything was capped off with a weird COVID shortened season.
Even with the Illini not being a good program, Hobbs flourished. He caught the eye of the Las Vegas Raiders, and in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Hobbs was selected by the Raiders.
Being selected in the fifth round guarantees you very little in the NFL. Hobbs still had to continue working to secure his spot on the team. His four-year, $3.8 million contract with just $303,052 guaranteed, according to Spotrac.com, sure didn’t give him any reassurance.
Much like at Illinois when people doubted him because of his two stars, Hobbs went to work. In four seasons with the Raiders, Hobbs played in 51 games and amassed 281 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 3.0 forced fumbles, and 3.0 interceptions.
All of the hard work and dedication to the game is now paying off. Hobbs is cashing in with a big contract. He went from being a two-star recruit and now he has just as many commas in his yearly salary as he did stars next to his name. What an impressive rise to glory.