Josh Cummings was contacted for his chance with the St. Louis Rams during Commencement.
While his classmates made hushed cell phone calls and sent text messages to friends with inside jokes developed over a soon-to-be-ending lifelong career as a student, the former Hart High and College of the Canyons kicker was on the phone with the St. Louis Rams, being offered his dream job.
Not a bad way for a 23-year-old to end a college career.
“The whole graduation I was trying to be quiet about it, but I called everyone I knew and those were some of the most exciting calls I’ve ever made in my life,” Cummings says. “I ran out of people to talk to by the time it was over. The last three hours of the ceremony felt like it took 30 minutes.”
Bob Ligashesky, the Rams’ special teams coach, was the one who started the attack on Cummings’ cell phone minutes.
The coach, who had recruited him to Pittsburgh as a special teams coordinator in 2003 before making the leap to the National Football League himself, called Cummings just after the conclusion of that day’s NFL Draft, indicating his interest in Cummings as an undrafted rookie free agent.
The call came one hour into the ceremony.
“It was really out of the blue,” says the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Cummings of the Rams’ interest in signing him.
His only tryout prior to the draft was with the hometown Pittsburgh Steelers.
“(Ligashesky) just said, ‘What’s up? It’s Coach Lig. You want to play for us'” Cummings recalls. “All I could say was, ‘Yes sir.'”
Cummings will join the Rams over the weekend in St. Louis for their rookie mini-camp as one of the team’s 10 undrafted rookies signings.
He says he will receive $3,000 to sign and will have his personal expenses taken care of in addition to some “extra pocket money” every week.
He’s realistic in knowing that a spot on the team is far from guaranteed as St. Louis already has a proven starter in 13-year veteran Jeff Wilkins.
In fact, Cummings says Ligashesky has already explained that he will likely eventually be cut before the regular season starts, as the Rams, like many other teams, only carry one kicker on their roster once the league imposes its maximum roster size in order to carry more depth at other positions.
But the Rams do offer him an enticing opportunity during the preseason as the only kicker other than Wilkins on the roster.
While the 36-year-old incumbent rests — he typically doesn’t kick until late in the preseason — the spotlight will belong to Cummings.
“I saw my name No. 2 on a depth chart on NFL.com and it was just shock and awe,” Cummings says. “To be a professional at a sport, that’s something every kid always dreams about. This opportunity to come in without a tryout is one I didn’t think I’d get for at least a couple more years.
“They told me they want me to take all the preseason kicks, all the kickoffs, all the field goals, and all the extra points. It’s all mine.”
Cummings says the Rams have told him that with a strong camp and preseason, they will attempt to sign him to an NFL Europe team.
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[Adam] Graessle was Cummings’ holder for both of his seasons with the Panthers and one of his best friends on the team.He was vacationing with his family in Florida on April 30, when he got the call from his buddy and heard the excitement in his voice.
“He was loud. He didn’t even care how loud,” Graessle says. “He was excited that he’s getting a chance. Getting a degree? Who cares? It’s the NFL.”
It never sucks if you can claim to have a job by the time you graduate. Good luck to Josh “Sunshine” Cummings.
