A Path To The NFL Like No Others, The Story Of Aulden Knight

Written by; Aidan Wohl

Hailing from four different universities throughout his tenure in college, defensive back/ wide receiver and starting at punt return, Aulden Knight has done it and seen it all. The Akron, Ohio native will have a plethora of unique experiences as he aims to find a spot in the NFL. Going undrafted last weekend, Knight will have the opportunity to try out for teams in hopes of signing with a franchise for this upcoming season.

Knight started his collegiate career at Hampton University,he was a team captain at an early
age, proving his worth as a leader. He then transferred to Cincinnati his redshirt sophomore year, where he would starting on special teams before graduating in 2019. Attending graduate school after Cincinnati, Knight then decided to transfer to Edinboro University and earned a larger role, starting at cornerback and was a team captain, before finishing off his playing career at Limestone University.

“It’s just an honor to be able to gain knowledge of the game from from every level. I promise I
can bring a lot of value to the table of any team that’s willing to give the opportunity for me,”
Knight said.

Standing at 5-10, 180 lbs, Knight has played nearly every skilled position on the field dating
back to when he first started playing football at five-years-old. His versatility, along with his
tenacious mentality has helped him strive both at his traditional position at defensive back and
on special teams as a kick and punt returner. He would go onto log 28 catches for 601 yards
and six touchdowns as a receiver, as well as record 87 tackles and eight interceptions as a
cornerback in his 32 collegiate games.

While many NFL draft prospects began training for the highest level during their respective Pro
Day and NFL combine, Knight has been training to accomplish his dreams since he started
playing the game. “I’m prepared [for the NFL],” Knight said. “I’ve been training for a long time. I have a trainer here in Ohio. I stay ready so I don’t have to get ready. You know, so I’m prepared. On field workouts went well my Pro Day. So it’s a blessing to be here, you know, in a position that I’m in so I just want to thank God and my family who support me and enjoy the process.”

Knight had been training at GritFit Athletics in Akron where he has been working with former
NFL running back Delone Carter.
“Aulden has been with us for some time now and his work ethic is second to none,” Carter said. “His ability to play both sides of the ball at a high level is nothing short of impressive. His electric speed on the field makes him a tremendous asset on special teams. This off season, he has gained 10lbs of muscle without losing a step of his field speed. I believe he is going to be a great asset in the professional level.”

The NFL prospect had a multitude of experience throughout his time in college not only as a player, but on the sidelines as well; as a coach. Getting his waiver denied in his senior season at Limestone university, Knight had the unique opportunity of coaching the defensive backs, which in result, gave him a lot more perspective about how the game was played in all dimensions of the game — which has aided him as an all-around player.

“The number one thing is not just knowing one position,” Knight said. It’s being able to know what every single position on the field is doing at one time, whether it’s the D-line, O-line, linebackers, that’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned over this time, knowing how to actually coordinate the whole field versus just a few specific specific positions. I think that really helped me gain a lot of knowledge in that aspect.” Knight is no stranger to the highest level of the game, playing along the likes of NFL Pro-Bowl cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Kobe Bryant before getting injured prior to the 2019 season. There, they would play on opposing ends of one another, creating a stagnant secondary presence. Knight noted that Sauce viewed him as a “dog”.

“I think Sauce would love to have me on his team,” “I’m very talented, very fast, very physical,” Knight said.