In 2012, the Miami Dolphins were ushering in yet another coaching change. Tony Sparano was gone, and Joe Philbin was taking over. The Dolphins, we know now, were not heading in the right direction.
In the third round of that year's draft, the Dolphins selected Missouri tight end Michael Egnew. Egnew would become far more famous for being called out by then OC Mike Sherman in front of the entire offense on HBO's Hard Knocks. He would also be called out by TE coach Dan Campbell.
To say that Egnew was a bust is beyond an understatement. Egnew had no business being on an NFL field. He lacked self-confidence and physicality, and couldn't get out of the coach's doghouse. After two seasons and seven receptions, Egnew was cut. His NFL career was over. His football career, however, is far from over.
Former Miami Dolphins TE rises to the challenge at Father Tolton High School
For Egnew, even the high school route couldn't be an easy one. The TE took over the Father Tolton team in 2019 just as COVID-19 took over the planet. In 2020, the team didn't have enough players and finished 1-9. That didn't stop him.
Egnew led the Trailblazers to a 5-4 record in 2021. The following season, they improved to 7-3, but they jumped considerably in 2023, going 11-1 and 9-3 the next two seasons. They won their conference championship in 2023.
For Egnew, he found more than a groove; he found his calling for football. It might be a small venue in Columbia, Missouri, but it's still football. His time in the NFL ended a long time ago, a bust by any definition, but Egnew continued to work in the sport.
In 2019, he spoke with the Columbia Missourian and outlined what he wanted to instill in the young men he would be coaching. Needless to say, he hoped to bring them what he couldn't find in the NFL. Success.
“I expect them to work really hard, and then obviously uphold the standard of winning,” Egnew said. “Winning has got to be important, and honestly I can’t expect much more than that.”
Not all players are prepared for the NFL. Not all players who are drafted succeed. Many bounce around the secondary and tertiary leagues with the hopes of keeping their dreams alive. Others find that they are better suited to coaching. That's the case for Egnew.
Add us as a preferred source on Google