NFL Draft Profile - Michigan's LB Junior Colson

The top of the linebacker group is joined by this Michigan tackling machine with size.

As we continue this evolution in our sport, we see legions of defensive backs playing linebacker in the modern game. But, there are a few who play at a much larger build than most safeties and yet continue to move very well. Consider the case of Michigan’s Junior Colson.

No. 25 - Junior Colson - Age 21 - 6’2 - 238 - 32.5 arms - Michigan

I won’t begin to claim expertise on Colson’s story, but perhaps you would enjoy to hear an abbreviated version of his upbringing from Wikipedia:

Colson was born in Mirebailas, Haiti. His father died when he was seven years old, and he was placed in an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince operated by his uncle. At age eight, he met Americans Steve and Melanie Colson who visited Haiti on a church mission after the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. He was adopted by the Colsons and, after a lengthy adoption and immigration process, moved to Tennessee at age nine in May 2012. He recalled that, on arriving at the airport in the United States, "The first thing I saw in America was a Michigan hat. That's what all of my family members were wearing, they're big Michigan fans."

I confess. When I learned that, I had to consider him a favorite. You never tire of hearing stories of how sports can change lives in profound ways.