Jerimiah Spicer is an NFL hopeful linebacker. He plays a physical style that was molded by the circumstances surrounding his upbringing. To him, football is more than just a game, or even a career. It is an escape from what he was given – an opportunity for him to control his destiny and rise above. It is life for him, one that doesn’t know what quitting is.
Jerimiah Spicer: No Quit, Only Grind
Always the Underdog
Spicer’s road to the NFL isn’t traditional in any sense. Most football players finish high school and head to college, where they are groomed to get ready for the NFL draft. Some start on the Junior college level, where they dedicate themselves to clawing their way to a university via transfer. But Spicer didn’t even have that luxury.
At one point of his journey, he was homeless and wandered the streets. So as much as he wanted to focus on football, knowing where he was going to sleep or what he was going to eat were more important issues.
He got his first shot in arena football for the Cape Fear Heroes, and made the most out of it, leading the league in tackles and getting First Team All-Arena as a linebacker. After finally being able to put some game tape together, he earned a look from the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers.
When asked what separates Spicer from other aspiring players in his position, he says “[there’s] some players out there like in a situation like me but they ain’t moving how I’m moving. A lot of dudes be waiting thinking cause they are good people going to find them. No, it’s a million great athletes but what makes you different is where you stand out.”
Never Stop – No Matter How Many Setbacks
When the XFL started back up in 2019, it looked like it would be the perfect opportunity for aspiring pros like Spicer. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Wildcats. However, he was waived by the team before their first game. At the time, rumors were that it was because Spicer was “too physical” at practice.
“Yeah I was roughing dudes up in the XFL,” he says. “I’m looking at the trophy – my chance to show I can play with these NFL dudes, so I did just that. I felt like I’m the underdog and had to do whatever it takes to make the team. So I was just flying to the ball.”
In a separate interview, Spicer admits that getting cut was tough. Nevertheless, giving up isn’t in his vocabulary. He kept training and stays ready, even after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the XFL.
“When the XFL shut Down was crazy cause the Tampa bay Vipers was supposed to call me that same week. So I went from there to damn I need more film, so I was contacted by NAL & IFL and I was ready to play. Then boom again NAL Shut up for 2020, then IFL shut down,” Spicer explains.
But he continued to explore all avenues, advocating for himself because he knew no one else would. “I was just talking to the CFL hoping they were playing, [and] then got a call from a scout saying COVID got everything messed up. So now I’m back to hustling talking to NFL team myself no middleman. Like I’m Nipsey Hussle straight out the mud with no excuses.”
Looking to Be the Mentor He Never Had
Spicer never forgets his roots living on Skid Row in Las Angeles. Perhaps it is why his top choice of NFL teams to play for is the Los Angeles Chargers. He says he has a few mentors who help him keep his head on straight, including his grandmother, who took him in until she passed away.
However, he notes that he never had a mentor at the NFL level. “They all flaked on me after I looked up to them.” That doesn’t mean Spicer operates on that same level though. He often goes back to Skid Row to give meals to the homeless population.
“I always help people in my situation cause I know what it was like. So I try to keep people dreaming of the positive no matter how bad or hard things are. Me helping people takes away my pain and keeps me busy.”
Looking Forward
Spicer claims that he has gotten interest from multiple NFL teams recently, including the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Football team, and was even set to work out for the Dallas Cowboys before COVID-19 complicated things. Even if he doesn’t get a call from the NFL, he is open to returning to the XFL, which Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently purchased.
“The XLF 3.0 will be better… [The Rock] is not a person who is just about himself,” Spicer says. “Plus I grew up watching The Rock. It would be a dream come true to play for him and his league. He will help a lot of people who were less fortunate on the opportunity to get to the NFL.”
It is tough to predict what the professional football landscape is going to look like moving forward. But it isn’t going to stop Spicer. All he knows is grinding. Sure, the odds are against him, but when have they not been? When asked what he wants his story to be in life, Spicer responds “I just want to be the supreme me.”
