A former college football player hoping to earn a shot in the NFL says a callous prankster pulled off a bizarre hoax that played on his dream of playing professionally.
Former Austin Peay standout defensive back Juantarius Bryant revealed the apparent deception in an emotional social media post this weekend.
In the post, Bryant said he showed up at Falcons rookie mini camp last week after receiving what he thought was an invitation from defensive coordinator Dean Pees, via text message. But upon arriving at the team's facility, Bryant was turned away, and realized he'd been had.
"It's most definitely one of the most embarrassing things that has happened to me and a very humbling experience," Bryant said on Twitter. "Just want to apologize to everyone and the Atlanta Falcons organization for the mix up. I honestly thought it was a legit opportunity on my end."
Bryant's agent, Corey Alexander, reportedly told ESPN he was "frustrated" with the situation.
"Frustrated with this," Alexander said. "And I haven't seen it before. Working in football, I have never seen this happen. So I hope that it ends."
Bryant, in his post, said he wouldn't let the episode define him.
"At the end of the day this will not make or break me," he said. "I will still continue to fight for my dreams because I know it's what I really want."
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