The Unranked Seaholm Recruit who achieved the Impossible
If you were a Derby Middle School student in 2014, you knew who Troy Hairston was. I remember being one of those kids under the Seaholm scoreboard on Friday Nights, watching Troy go to work. Heading into my freshman year…
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Continue ReadingIf you were a Derby Middle School student in 2014, you knew who Troy Hairston was. I remember being one of those kids under the Seaholm scoreboard on Friday Nights, watching Troy go to work. Heading into my freshman year at Seaholm in 2015, being on the same practice field as Troy was both daunting and exciting. I watched as this beast of an athlete constantly went to work and was a great example of the RIGHT way to do it.
Unsung and Unseen
Even though Troy was a larger-than-life figure in the Birmingham Community, his talent seemed to hide in the Birmingham Bubble. As I’m writing this, Troy is the starting Fullback for the Houston Texans, but he wasn’t even listed in the 247 or Rivals databases and came out of High School with 0 scholarship offers, with just 1 PWO from Central Michigan.
After watching Troy’s senior highlights, I can’t fathom why nobody reached out and offered.
Facing a grueling schedule that included Groves, Rochester Adams, Farmington Harrison, Southfield A&T, and Oak Park, Troy tallied 115 tackles, 9TFLs, 5 sacks, with 6 forced fumbles, and that was without playing in the postseason. So, why was he looked over? Was it his height at 5’11? Was it because he went to Seaholm and only had 1 playoff win? An injury? Did he not compete during the offseason?
I don’t have concrete answers as to why he wasn’t recruited, but I have a strong feeling it was because nobody was looking at Seaholm for talent. The 247 database included athletes from the typical powerhouses at the time; Cass Tech, Farmington Harrison, West Bloomfield, and Detroit MLK. Sure, there were a few players from outside those schools, and the MI Class of 2016 has been incredibly successful, but the point still stands that Troy was underrated.
Career at Central Michigan
Troy’s career at Central Michigan is outlined flawlessly in the Article “Sheer Will and Determination” by Andy Sneddon. Here are the cliff notes.
Central Michigan was the only program to give Troy an ounce of a chance, and that chance was a PWO. Because of a significant back injury, Troy was completely sidelined, even from practice, during his first year in college. He worked with the equipment staff during this time.
Troy would take middle-of-the-night strolls around campus to Kelly/Shorts Stadium, praying to god for an opportunity.
Once he got healthy in 2017, his work began on special teams. Once he began turning heads on the ST unit, it was time for him to fight for defensive playing time, but not at the position you’d expect. See, the Chippewas had studs at linebacker but lacked depth as Defensive End.
Long story short, Troy was put on scholarship in 2019 and was first-team All-Mac in 2020, and was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, all as a speedy, powerful defensive end.
Then came Pro Day and NFL prep.
The NFL Dream
Like many of you reading this, it was always Troy’s dream to make it to the NFL. After working out in his Pro Day as a Tight End, Linebacker, and Fullback, Troy finally got his opportunity on May 1, 2022, with the Houston Texans as a Fullback. Though still, from the outside looking in, his chances of making the 53-man roster were slim. After all, he was going up against 3-year Texan Paul Quessenberry, as well as 7-year Fullback Andy Janovich, who appeared in 77 games for the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns.
The competition was tough, but Troy proved to be tougher as he beat out the NFL Vets to secure the lone Fullback role on the Texans’ offense.
According to Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle, Hairston slept on a mattress on the floor during the first three weeks of the NFL season. But so far, Hairston hasn’t just made the roster, he’s been performing extremely well at the NFL level. I have a great feeling that this is only the beginning for Troy, and I can’t wait to follow his NFL career.
(Ignore the caption, watch Troy, #34, deliver a punishing block to Derwin James)
Through relentless hard work, restless nights, setbacks, breakthroughs, and more, Troy achieved his NFL dream, but he knows his work has just begun.
If you’re reading this, you likely fall into one of three categories. 1. Current HS player. 2. Parent of HS player. 3. College Coach.
No matter who you are reading this, there’s an extremely cliché but still ultimately true lesson to be learned from this story. That is no matter what you want to be or who you want to be, there’s a path for you to get there. In other words, why not aim extremely high in life? Because if not you, then who?