Underdog Story of the Day - Josh Jacobs

JOSH JACOBS 

If you told Josh Jacobs that he would be picked #26 overall in the NFL draft he'd probably tell you you were crazy.

Homeless as a young kid, his dream was probably just to find a house or to even sleep in a bed. 

In 2006, Josh's father, Marty Jacobs, separated from his wife. Marty fought for custody of the five children and before the decision was made on custody, Josh moved in with his dad. At the same time, his dad had just moved out of his apartment with nowhere to live. The two slept in the father's Suburban in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a week. Josh remembers his dad would park on the street and sit in the reclined front seat with a pistol in his lap to protect them. Josh would sleep in the back and he couldn't remember a time where he saw his father sleeping.

Later on, his father lost his job due to an eye injury at work when he was applying powder coating. Money was scarce if it wasn't already. 

In the months that followed, the family lived in several different motel rooms. The goal was to find the best nightly rates at places that still served continental breakfast so his kids could eat before school. The issue was at night. Food was scarce.

"There were a lot of times I saw my dad come up with food for us, and he would never eat," Josh says. "I always wondered if he ever ate or not, and that's something that used to really bother me. To this day, I don't know how my father did it."

Football was his escape.

Most D1 schools undervalued him because he came from a less scouted high school team. But there was a team that took a chance on him.

When he was offered by Alabama, he knew his life was taking a turn for the better. Not only did he then have the opportunity to have a great education, but his football career could be just beginning. 

Not that being homeless for years wasn't enough, Jacobs suffered severe injuries causing him to contemplate leaving Alabama after his sophomore year. Injury wasn't the only reason. He was behind two elite running backs in college football. His dad convinced him to stay and he flourished during his junior year. After his junior year, he had the decision to enter the NFL draft or stay another year at Alabama.

He was picked #26 overall in the NFL draft and is now in the running for rookie of the year. Just yesterday, he was able to buy his dad a house in Tulsa, Oklahoma in appreciation of all his love and support throughout his whole life so far.

WRAP-UP

From rock bottom to NFL rookie superstar. Everyone loves a comeback story but one like this seems to hit differently. There are many things we can take away from Josh Jacob's story. One, never forget the people who helped you through it all. In this case, it was his father, Marty Jacobs, who sacrificed everything to give his family the best that he could. Two, yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery so focus on the now. It could've been easy for Jacobs to accept he would be nothing in life but he decided to follow his passion, and ultimately, reach his wildest dreams. 

Watch this video for further documentation!