Kidsday: Jimmy Graham, one of my favorites

Jimmy Graham is one of my favorite NFL players. He was born on Nov. 24, 1986, in Goldsboro, N.C. He did not have an easy life. At the age of 11, he was dropped at a group home by his mother. There, he said he was brutally beaten by older kids. Graham said he would not wish his life of abandonment, poverty and neglect on anyone. An awful childhood helped him become tough. He was adopted at 14 by a single mother. He did not play high school football because his school did not have a team, but played basketball and got a scholarship to the University of Miami. He graduated but stayed to take graduate classes and play a year of college football, becoming a good tight end. Graham was drafted in 2010 by the New Orleans Saints in the third round. Last season, he became a starter and caught a club-record 99 passes, becoming the first Saints tight end to exceed 1,000 yards receiving, and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He seems on the road to a great career.