From 8-man football to competitive CrossFit, some prospects took a different road to the NFL draft

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Virginia safety Jonas Sanker took a somewhat unconventional path to this week’s NFL draft.

He initially drew the interest of college scouts while playing high school basketball in Charlottesville, Virginia, but then emerged as a star in eight-man football.

Sanker’s rapid ascension from fast-break-style prep games to college captain to the cusp of a pro career sounds more like Hollywood, but Sanker has made it this far with hard work.

“I tried to make the most of it and then the transition to college is a little bit of a learning curve,” he said, describing the move from his high school’s narrower field to a regulation-sized college field. “But I was willing to learn.”

Sanker fine-tuned his skills in a game that features three fewer players on offense and defense, everyone is an eligible receiver and the potential for high-scoring games is a constant. This version is attractive to schools t...
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