The NFL is not always about the TDs or the Super Bowls. There’s always a darker side to the glam that the gridiron offers. Some players are fortunate enough to be remembered as long as the game is played. As for others, they get lost before the fans even get a glimpse of them on the gridiron. Not because they didn’t have the talent. It’s like some things didn’t go to plan as they thought they would. That’s why they are where they are—away from the gridiron. Well, one of those fallen footballers was former Steelers running back Cedric Humes—whose dream to play in the NFL never saw the light from day 1.Coming out of Virginia Tech, Humes didn’t have any idea that the Steelers were interested in drafting him. In an exclusive interview, he said, “I had no idea the Steelers had interest. I wasn’t sure I’d even get drafted.” Surprised? No. Bemused? Yes. A sudden call from the Steelers confused Humes, who actually had an offer from Denver in 2006. The Broncos apparently told Humes if he wasn’t drafted anywhere, they would pick him up and offer him a $20,000 signing bonus. But none of those things happened. Out of nowhere, the Steelers came in with their 7th-round pick and changed Humes’ career forever.From the moment he wore black and gold, the expectations were just too much for a rookie. His coaches in Pittsburgh apparently wanted Humes to run like Jerome Bettis. Yes, you must have heard that name, right? Bettis was already a mainstay in the Steelers roster for 10 years. And asking a rookie to start playing Bettis was always going to take a toll on him. “When I got there, I did exactly what the coaches told me to do, but it wasn’t my game. They wanted me to run like Jerome Bettis—that wasn’t me. I tried to do that and ended up on the practice squad.” So, when the coach’s plans didn’t work out with Humes regressing. He decided why not stick with my own playing style.January 27, 2023, Canton, USA. The emblem of the Pittsburgh Steelers football club on the green lawn of the stadium. Model Released Property Released xkwx division new ncaa sporting yardline green superbowl equipment american football lii eagles minnesota minneapolis patriots nfl football league stadium super bowl sports american team super bowl field college game national grass line turf arena touchdown background winner competition white professional sport play athletics ball yard illustrationYou know, that actually earned him praise from legendary Steeler LB Joey Porter. Recalling that moment, Humes said, “The defense was watching practice film and asked who that guy was.” See, those praises might have given Humes some confidence after he got relegated to the practice squads. However, never did he knew he was soon going to get cut. No, not for staying with the practice squads. After he pulled his hamstring, the Steelers thought it was better to move on from Humes. Well, moving on, the Steelers did end up winning the Super Bowl XL. But Humes—he didn’t know what waited for him next year.A trip to Europe shattered Cedric Humes’ NFL dreams foreverYou know what they say: always follow your gut. Whenever you have a doubt in your mind, your gut feeling is probably the right one. And if you look at Humes’ career, he would have surely turned around his NFL career. Considering he also followed his gut, ” I didn’t want to go at first. I wanted to stay with the team. But I eventually went, and in the last game of the season there, I was tackled.” Context: Giants picked Humes after he was thrown off Pittsburgh. New York gave him a new home but not the opportunity he wanted. At that time, wouldn’t it be a great idea to send their sophomore RB to Europe? Of course, he didn’t want to go. But everything was going smoothly with Amsterdam Admirals until the final game of the season.“I was tackled. I got hit on my head, and my head got pushed straight down.” Sharing those gruesome details in his exclusive interview, Cedric Humes also added how he knew the severity of the injury one day later. “I saw the doctor and got an MRI, but they couldn’t see anything. It got worse, so I went back and got a CAT scan. They found a fracture in my neck…The fracture occured at the odontoid process in my neck. They told me that if it broke the other direction I could have been paralyzed. But all I needed was to rehab and wear a neck brace.” So, basically, Humes could have never moved again. What he suffered was something close to a car accident, as his doctor quipped. Something more could have taken Humes away from us. However, fortunately, it didn’t. Yes, Humes was forced to retire because of that injury. And, of course, couldn’t fulfil his NFL dream. But hey! At least he is happy now doing something else. Away from gridiron, Cedric Humes found his destiny in teaching. You can find him helping kids with their algebra in Virginia Beach school.The post Forced to Retire With Head Injury, Ex-Steelers RB Reveals Joey Porter’s True Character & Blames Coaching for NFL Failure appeared first on EssentiallySports.