The road to the NFL is still open for an ex-Greenwave star.
After participating in several combines earlier this year and receiving offers to play football overseas, Fallon’s Trevor de Braga will be staying in the states in 2015. He signed a contract with the Green Bay Blizzard, an Indoor Football League arena team that finished 2-12 this past spring.
He is scheduled to report Feb. 11, 2015, and was invited to play in the Euro-American Scout Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Dec. 19.
While playing overseas was never ruled out, de Braga felt his best chance of keeping the NFL dream alive was to get into an arena league in the United States. After marketing himself to teams in Europe, de Braga said they would sign him based on statistics, times and game film.
But in order to make it with an American arena team, de Braga had to try out.
“I wanted to pursue arena professional football here in the states, which is tough because they want to see you actually work out in front of them and show them what I can do on the field,” he said. “So, I have been continuing my speed and strength workouts since May to try and find a team.”
He felt now was the best time and it paid off.
“It’s been a grind but finally something great has come through,” said de Braga, who worked out at Naval Air Station Fallon and the high school.
De Braga works part-time at the Warrior Fitness Gym on the naval base and is an assistant coach for Greenwave football team.
He flew to Chicago this past weekend and tried out for Green Bay, doing various drills and tests, including the L drill, a combination of stop and go running, the 40-yard dash, defensive back drills, 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 competitions against other offensive prospects.
De Braga said he ran 6.6 seconds in the L drill but set a personal best in the 40-yard dash with times of 4.41 and 4.47. “I’ve been really focusing my training on explosion because your start of your 40-yard dash is key to a fast time,” he said. “I had a bunch of good pass breakups and interceptions on the first day.”
Green Bay, though, isn’t a stranger to de Braga.
One of his college friends, who played at Adams State (Colo.) made the Blizzard last year, catching de Braga’s eye about the possibility of competing in Green Bay.
After an email exchange with the coaching staff, he took a leap of faith and pursued with the tryout.
“Of course, my No. 1 goal would be to get to the NFL,” de Braga said. “This is definitely a stepping stone in the business of football.”
De Braga signed a new agent, Kevin Lane of Sports Management Worldwide, who is familiar with the Indoor Football League and helps his clients reach the NFL.
“Being signed to the IFL will get me exposure to bigger and better things,” de Braga said. “I’m not going to let the dream of playing in the NFL disappear as long as I am physically able to play. This is a step in the right direction and I cannot wait to step on the field and do what I love.”