Former Texas A&M WR makes case as a top pick in Players Tribune piece

With the relentless support of his mom and years of hard work, KC finally overcame the limits his stutter used to impose on him. He shouted out to his mom, “You helped me get through the rough patches and reach a place where … by the time high school rolled around, nobody was thinking about how I spoke. They were too busy watching what I could do on the field.”

Indeed, we have been busy watching Concepcion on the field. A North Carolina native, he spent his first two seasons at NC State, tallying an absurd 1159 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns on 71 receptions in his freshman season. After a sophomore slump on a Wolfpack team that took a step back as a whole, finishing 6-7 and 3-5 in ACC play, Concepcion took his talents to College Station.

The Aggies had a brand new receiving corps last season, adding Mario Craver through the portal and elevating Ashton Bethel-Roman into a real WR3 role. As the X receiver, Concepcion shone at Texas A&M with 919 yards for an SEC-high 9 receiving touchdowns on 61 receptions. He also rushed for one TD, returned two punts for TDs, finished the season as an All-American, won the Paul Hornung award for most versatile player in college football, and is projected to be drafted in the late first/early second round.

Of course, Concepcion isn’t satisfied. He believes he is the best receiver in the draft, not in the top 5-8, as most analysts rank him. He won’t be the first WR off the board, and there’s a real chance he has to wait a day to hear his name called. But he wants GMs to give their consideration just one more time.

“There are a lot of great receivers in this year’s draft. But I promise you this: Everything I’ve been through didn’t just shape me … it’s still in me. Every rep, every route, every time I refuse to quit … that’s where it comes from. Draft me and you get all of that. I’ll put it up against anybody in this class. Any day. Any field. You’re getting someone who has been through it. Someone who knows how to keep going when things get hard. Because things have always been hard. But I’m still here.

“Before I get out of here, I do want to say, once again, for all to hear, that I’m the best receiver in this draft. But, at the end of the day, I’m so much more than just a football player. And any team that picks me is going to realize that immediately. So if you’re a GM out there reading this, put me on your team, and let’s get to work.”

Read the full article by KC Concepcion at The Players' Tribune

Read part two on Concepcion's character, which is not defined by his stutter

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: KC Concepcion makes his case as a top pick in Players' Tribune piece