In 2021, Dondrea Tillman borrowed $2,500 from his grandmother. It turned out to be money very well spent.

Tillman had been a solid defensive lineman at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2016-19, finishing fourth in school history with 30 sacks. But the coronavirus pandemic resulted in cancellation of his pro day in 2020 and he wasn’t selected in the NFL draft and had no teams bring him in for a workout.

In 2021, something called The Spring League was formed for NFL hopefuls. If Tillman wanted to play in it, he had to fork over some money.

“I had to pay $2,500,’’ Tillman said. “You had to pay to play. It meant that I had to bet on myself.”

Tillman borrowed the money from his grandmother, and it eventually paid off, although not right away. Tillman played for the Conque

See Full Page