Habakkuk Baldonado- From Italy to the NFL

Send us Fan MailWe speak with Habakkuk Baldonado about his extraordinary journey from soccer-loving Italian teenager to NFL player, exploring how finding American football videos on YouTube changed the trajectory of his life.• Growing up in Italy where soccer dominates, Baldonado realized he needed to find a different sport since professional soccer players are identified by age 12• Watched "Here Comes the Boom" football highlights on YouTube which sparked his interest in the seemingly "insane" sport of football• Made the decision to leave Italy at 17 to play high school football in Florida with what was initially planned as a six-month stay• Received recruitment offers ranging from D3 to eventually top D1 programs• Chose University of Pittsburgh partly because a coach challenged his toughness when he almost canceled a visit due to illness• After an outstanding junior season with double-digit sacks and an ACC championship, made the difficult decision to return for his senior year• Experienced challenges in his senior season including injuries, team performance issues, and fewer pass-rushing opportunities• Went undrafted despite previous projections as a top-three round pick• Currently playing in the CFL while maintaining his NFL aspirations• Emphasizes the importance of understanding professional football as a business rather than just a sportSupport the showSubscribe, Download, Rate 5 stars only baby! Follow @ColkyJonov10 on all social media platforms.