WOODBURY, Minnesota — The coronavirus canceled or postponed major sporting events. But it didn't delay Jashon Cornell's childhood dream of playing professional football.
When COVID-19 changed his life, Cornell created a new play. He transformed a shed at his Woodbury home into a gym.
He wanted to continue working out.
“It has been a struggle. Pretty much the last two months because of COVID, you just don't know what's going to happen,” he said. “We were not able to work out in front of teams."
But Saturday, the 23-year-old from Woodbury scored big.
His name was called during the seventh round of the NFL Draft.
Surrounded only by 10 family members because of social distancing, a dream he feared wouldn't happen became reality.
“I am going to the Detroit Lions!” he said. “I was happy but I was frozen. I was in shock. Everybody went crazy. My mom started crying. I didn't know I was going to cry and then I started crying.”
Saturday marked the beginning of the next chapter of Cornell’s life.
“All those hours I put in and nobody seen me put in the long nights and early mornings, it all worked out,” he said. “If you have your faith in God, like I do, he always leads you in the right direction. I always kept hope and I always trust in him because you just never know what’s going to happen.”
With the help of his agent, Mike McCartney, Cornell got in front of the NFL. He used social media to post his training videos. One training video on Twitter had more than 180,000 views.
Cornell played defensive end at Ohio State University and earned two bachelor’s degrees.
Before undergrad, he was on the field at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, where he graduated a semester early.
“Growing up, in my house you were not allowed to go outside and play sports or hang out with your friends if you didn't take care of your schoolwork,” he said. “You can always gain knowledge but you can lose your ability to play football. That is what I want kids to know that your brain is the strongest muscle in your body and if you keep working it, trust the process with your athletic ability and at the end of the day you will be successful.”
Cornell said he doesn't know what the NFL season will look like, but he's not worried.
“I keep hope and trust in God,” he said. “He plans everything for me and leads me on the path I need to go through.”
Meanwhile, the NFL also had its eye on Cornell’s friends who bleed maroon and gold. The University of Minnesota set a school record with five players taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.