SHAWNEE — Aditya Singh understands the odds of hearing his name called during the NFL Draft.
Ditto for getting signed as an undrafted free agent, going to camp or making a roster
But none of that is stopping the Oklahoma Baptist defensive tackle from forging ahead with the biggest of football dreams. Being a long shot never deterred him before. Why would it now?
Especially when he has a chance to make history — Singh would be the first full-blooded Indian American in the NFL.
When the NFL Draft starts Thursday evening in Pittsburgh, players such as Fernando Mendoza and David Bailey, Caleb Downs and Jeremiyah Love will be front and center. But among the 5 million or so Indian Americans in the United States, not to mention the 1.47 billion people in India, the most populous nation in the world, no player will be more watched than Singh.
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“This NFL journey, this road that I’m on is far bigger than myself,” he said. “It gives me a burning passion. … At the end of the day, this opportunity, any NFL opportunity, would create a huge opening for my community.”
Both of Singh’s parents were born in India before moving to the United States.
“He had $20 in his pocket,” Singh said. “That’s about it.”
But both of his parents had a dream and a work ethic to turn it into a reality.
Every day growing up in New Jersey, Singh watched his mom and dad tirelessly toil. His father, for instance, worked in information technology, and he was always on conference calls or taking online courses.
Singh adopted a similar attitude when he realized his passion for football.
When a scholarship to an FBS program didn’t come, he opted to take a preferred walk-on spot at UMass. When the coaches wanted him to play offensive line even though he felt better suited for defensive line, he had to try.
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But after a couple of seasons not seeing the field, he decided to bet on himself and ask to be moved to defensive line.
“I just love the fact that you know the odds are stacked against you,” he said of playing defensive line. “You’re gonna have to deal with someone every play, most of the time two people, trying to attack you.
“I just fell in love with the violence and the process that it took to be a good defensive lineman.”
Eventually, Singh left UMass — he took a bachelor’s degree with him — and transferred to Division II Southern Connecticut State. After a season there, he transferred again, this time to Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee.
Last fall, he played 710 of the Division II Bison’s 793 defensive snaps.
“That’s unheard of for an interior defensive tackle,” he said.