John Beale
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges look forward to reunion in Minnesota
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urrounded by friends and family
at his parents' house in Mandeville,
La., former Penn State linebacker
Michael Mauti answered his cellphone while watching his name flash
across the TV screen.
Seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Seventh pick. Minnesota Vikings.
Overcome with joy, Mauti broke down
and cried.
"There have only been two times I've
ever cried of happiness in my life –
S
after last year's Wisconsin game and
then on Saturday after I got drafted,"
he said. "This was something I've been
dreaming about since I was a kid. I
was very emotional.
"It was just a dream come true. I'm
just living the dream right now, playing
in the NFL, getting an opportunity."
Mauti had been considered a probable
high-round pick for the better part of
his senior season at Penn State, but
those hopes vanished last November
when the anterior cruciate ligament in
his left knee was torn in the first
quarter of the Nittany Lions' game
against Indiana. His future in football
– a future built on a foundation of
physical and mental toughness, leadership and a remarkable skill set –
was suddenly in question. And it remains so even after the draft. But
thanks to the Vikings, he got what he
wanted most: an opportunity.
Of course, Mauti knew he was going
