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When Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell declared for the 2024 NFL draft, he did so in the most heartwarming manner. Mitchell penned a letter to his daughter Icylinn McLaurine. In it, he declared his intention for the draft and also recounted a story about his childhood.
Adonai Mitchell wrote that while growing up, he always wanted to be a professional athlete. He often played basketball with his brother and friends. The WR imagined him and his friends playing in the NBA but there was a problem.
“There was only one issue: I wasn’t good,” Mitchell wrote in the letter, as per The Players Tribune.
Mitchell hopes for his daughter to imbibe all of his strength and best qualities but he hopes she does not get his jump shot. Despite losing against his brothers’ older friends, he eventually started to get recognition for being a football player.
“Even when I was playing against my brothers’ much older friends, I was nice. Juking, diving, and muscling out bigger kids for jump balls was no problem for me. By the time I started playing against kids my age I just started balling out right away. And before long football became the thing I was known for.”
Adonai Mitchell switched from a QB to a WR
Continuing his love for football, Mitchell explained to his daughter that football allowed him to gain a sense of identity during the time of life when he could not adjust to a group full of new faces.
Up to his junior year in high school, he played as a quarterback but switched to a wide receiver. His parents were not happy with his decision, but they had to accept it eventually.
“I was a quarterback for a few years but in my junior year of high school I made the switch to receiver. I think your grandparents are still a little heartbroken over the move deep down (“Please don’t quit, AD! You’re the best quarterback to ever do it!”) but yeah, I think it was for the best.”
Adonai Mitchell then detailed that in order to become the best player after he was recruited to Georgia, he practiced with talented future NFL stars. However, the distance between him and his daughter started to daunt him, which is why he decided to transfer to Texas.
He expressed his gratitude to both football programs and said he is patiently waiting for his name to be called at the 2024 NFL draft.
