Former Bullis School Football Standout Eager to Prove Himself to an NFL Team

With the NFL lockout rumored to be on the brink of being over, Joe Lefeged is on the verge of finally being able to find an NFL home.

Last April, as Lefeged sat and watched the NFL draft with his family, the former Bullis School student couldn’t help but be disappointed.

Lefeged--who following high school became a standout at safety on special teams at Rutgers University--has been projected by many NFL draft pundits to be selected somewhere in the fourth-sixth round range of April's seven-round, three-day draft.

Yet player after player was picked, round-by-round, ending without Lefeged's selection.

“It was very disappointing,” admitted Lefeged. “But, after the draft, I just sat back for a couple days, got my thoughts together and got back to work.”

In most years, Lefeged wouldn’t have had to wait long to find an NFL team--even without having been drafted--as undrafted players are usually signed by teams within a week after draft end.

But, with the NFL having been locked out since early March, undrafted players and free agents have been unable to sign with NFL teams, adding to Lefeged’s frustration.

ESPN’s Scouts, Inc. expects Lefeged to be one of the most highly sought-after players from this year’s draft class, rating him as the top available player.

The 6-foot, 210-pound Lefeged starred at Bullis for three seasons prior to transferring to Northwest High School for his senior year. He posted 238 tackles during his Rutgers career, including 84 as a senior along with a team-high six pass breakups, earning second-team All-Big East honors.

A valuable special teams contributor as well, Lefeged broke the Scarlet Knights’ single-season school record as a senior, with 948 kickoff return yards averaging 24.9 yards per return. He also blocked four kicks during the season.

“Lefeged possesses a nice combination of size and straight-line speed, and the range, discipline and toughness to contribute as a sub-package safety and special-teams player early in his career,” Scouts, Inc. wrote of Lefeged in late May. “He also has the ability to develop into a starting strong safety in time.”

And Lefeged is eager for the opportunity to prove just that.

Since May he has been working out five days a week along with several current NFL players, in preparation for the lockout's lift and training camp beginning.

Once the lockout ends, Lefeged says that along with his agent he will sort through the teams interested in his services, talk to the team’s coaches and find the best fit.

Then he says he'll report to training camp in hopes of earning a roster spot, possibly even a starting role.

“I’m just going to go out there, compete and try to prove myself,” Lefeged said of his training camp agenda once he signs with an NFL team.

“But, I’m not going in there just to try and make the team, and aren't going to be satisfied just being there with everybody else. My main goal is to go in there and to compete for a starting job, whether it’s on defense or on special teams.”