MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Most college football players will eventually have to accept the fact that they don’t have what it takes to land a job in the NFL. However, a former walk-on at Eastern Michigan is trying to keep that dream alive with the Lions by standing outside their practice facility with a sign in the hopes of catching someone’s attention.
I have a hard time imagining most people reading this are intimately familiar with Freddie McGee III, who enrolled at Eastern Michigan in 2016 and earned a spot on the football team as a walk-on who appeared in 47 games for the Eagles before his time with the team came to an end in 2021.
McGee was a defensive back who recorded 85 total tackles and a single interception over the course of his time in Ypsilanti. He didn’t attract the interest of any NFL teams, but he was able to keep playing with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League before linking up with the Salina Liberty during the ill-fated reboot of the Arena Football League in 2024 en route to being named Defensive Player of the Year.
However, he found himself without a home last year and has struggled to attract interest from teams that are unwilling to take a chance on an undersized DB. It’s hard to imagine the Lions would be an exception, but that hasn’t stopped him from shooting his shot.
Former Eastern Michigan DB Freddie McGee III is angling for a tryout with the Lions by standing outside the team’s practice facility with a sign
In 2015, Joe Anderson, who appeared in nine games for the Bears over the course of two seasons, showed up outside NRG Stadium with a sign that with messages including “Not homeless…but starving for success” and “Will Run Routes 4 Food” in the hopes of convincing the Texans to give him a shot.
That plea fell on deaf ears in Houston, but he was able to attract the attention of the Jets and spent a season as a member of their practice squad before being released to bring his time in the NFL to an end.
McGee has now opted for a similar approach, as he managed to attract the attention of Eric Woodyard, who covers the Lions for ESPN, after he was spotted at the entrance of Detroit’s training compound in Allen Park on Monday with a sign that doubled as his résumé.
Former EMU DB Freddie McGee III arrived outside of the #Lions facility around 8:45 a.m. with this sign and is hopeful for an NFL shot. He doesn’t have an agent, but says he’s in the best shape of his life. “God put it on my heart. I’ve had this goal since I was 5,” he told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/uVCm7y8TyG
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) April 13, 2026
He told Woodyard he was hoping to catch “the right pair of eyes” with the sign that calls attention to the 14 interceptions and 22 broken-up passes he was responsible for when he was named the AFL’s top defensive player, adding he’s been angling to fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL since he was five years old.
It appears his height has been his biggest hurdle when it comes to checking that box, as he previously posted a video with texts from coaches who’ve said his size is a non-starter; he was listed as 5’8″ and 170 lbs. during his time at Eastern Michigan, but he asserted he’s an inch-and-a-half taller while speaking with The Detroit News.
He told the same outlet he’s preparing to take an exam to become a certified NFL agent in July, so he should have something to pivot to if this doesn’t work out.