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Jerome Pathon

For Jerome Pathon, it was love at first catch.

Having grown up in South Africa, Pathon was more familiar with games like soccer and cricket. But while playing receiver in his first game of organized football after moving to Vancouver with his family, Pathon knew he had found his calling.

"The excitement and intensity of that first football game (with the Carson Graham High School Eagles) was amazing," said Pathon. "I hadn't ever experienced anything like it. With soccer, the excitement happens when someone scores a goal. But in football there are consistent, exciting plays that can be made on the field every down."

Pathon enjoyed a breakout season in his fourth NFL campaign with the the Colts, reeling in passes from Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning. He was drafted in the second round by Indianapolis in the 1998 NFL draft, but admits that if it weren't for the football development system in Canada his career may never have gotten started.

"After high school I started sending out my game tapes to a number of U.S. schools, and none of them were really interested in a full scholarship," said Pathon. "One of my coaches had attended Acadia University (Nova Scotia, Canada) for football, so he sent me there."

In his first season at Acadia (1993) Pathon was named Canadian University football's top rookie after catching 44 passes for 868 yards and 10 touchdowns. His standout offensive performance, combined with the fact that he qualified for the Canadian National Track Team in long jump, opened the eyes of the coaching staff at the University of Washington. Pathon went on to become the Huskies No. 2-ranked all-time receiver.

After missing the end of the 2001 season due to a knee injury, Pathon was traded to the New Orleans Saints, where he played until 2004. After short stints in Seattle and Atlanta in 2005, Pathon retired from football.