Fordham University offensive lineman Garrick Mayweather, Jr., is one step closer to his dream of playing the in the NFL as on May 10 he signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mayweather was in Kansas City over the weekend participating in the Chiefs’ rookie mini-camp along with 66 other rookie hopefuls, including all nine draft picks.

A three-year starter and two-year captain, Mayweather started every game at left guard for the Rams in 2015. He was a First Team All-Patriot League selection in 2014 and 2015, also earning All-America honors by College Sports Madness (second team), the Associated Press (third team) and STATS (third team) this past fall. He guided the Fordham offense, a unit that led the Patriot League and was ninth in the NCAA FCS in scoring, averaging 36.8 points per game, and led the league and was second in the NCAA FCS in passing efficiency (168.30). Fordham was also second in the league and 20th in the NCAA FCS in passing yards/game (272.3), 21st in the NCAA FCS in first downs and third in the conference and 43rd in the NCAA FCS in rushing yards/game (180.9).

At the annual Block F awards dinner last week Mayweather received the Terence O’Donnell Memorial Award, presented to the Fordham athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, loyalty, dedication and self-discipline.  The award is in memory of Terry O’Donnell, a 1955 graduate who died in a military plane crash shortly after graduation.

Mayweather joins fellow Rams Isa Abdul Quddus, a safety with the Miami Dolphins, and Patrick Murray, a placekicker with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on an NFL roster.

Source:: Fordham Athletics

Mayweather was downed by Naison, 6-2.

The charity match was proposed by Naison when he discovered that Mayweather was a tennis player in high school. Naison challenged Mayweather to a match with the loser having to donate to the winner’s charity of choice.

A consensus All-American on the offensive line for the Rams in 2015, Mayweather played #1 Doubles and #1 Singles in high school, winning a regional championship in doubles his junior year. He has continued to play tennis on and off, but has not played in a competitive match in four years.

Naison also has a tennis background, having attended Columbia University from 1962-1966 where he was captain of the school’s tennis team, playing #1 singles at the school during the 1965 season. In 1966, he played #2 singles and came in third in the Eastern Intercollegiate Doubles Championship.

After the 6-2 loss, Mayweather will be writing a check to the Bronx African American History Project (though Naison is willing to wait until Mayweather signs his first NFL contract, he said).  However, Naison decided that he will still write a check to Mayweather’s charity, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

–Joe DiBari