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Parenthood brings maturity, Dantzler says
Andrew Keesee reports
BRADENTON, Fla. - Cam Dantzler can be found these days at IMG Academy. He’s preparing for the biggest job interview of his life: The NFL combine.
“It's fun,” the Mississippi State cornerback told FOX 13 Sports. “(Just) being around all these guys who have played all over the country.”
It’s all part of the process to the start of his rookie season in the NFL, but being a rookie isn’t necessarily new to Cam. Before he even played a game in the NFL, Cam spent his last year in Oxford, Mississippi as a rookie father.
A little more than three months before Misissippi State’s season opener last season, Cam’s girlfriend Seirra gave birth to their son, Cam Junior.
“I just had to lock in,” the projected first-round pick said. “(I had to) become more mature.”
If juggling the responsibilities of being a new father with being a student athlete sounds taxing, that’s because it is.
“I had to make a schedule (so I could) have time for family, time for football, (and) time for school,” Dantzler said. “I was kind of heartbroken because I couldn't spend enough time with him.”
Cam’s agent, Jovan Barnes, tells FOX 13 the fact that he was able to handle being a D-I athlete while being a new father makes his look more appealing to NFL teams.
“That's definitely something I'm selling to the teams,” Barnes said. “They know that Cam is motivated.”
“It's like a love I've never felt before,” Dantzler added. “Every rep I did in college, I thought of him.”