Chris LowApr 3, 2025, 06:05 AM ET
Shut
- Faculty soccer reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of the College of Tennessee
SHAVON REVEL JR. had completed a 10-hour in a single day shift at an Amazon warehouse in Kernersville, North Carolina, scanning containers and loading vehicles. He may slightly stay his eyes open.
“I used to be drained, and I imply drained as hell,” Revel stated.
However somewhat than head house for 8 hours of shut-eye, Revel took a handy guide a rough nap in his father’s automobile whilst looking forward to his dad’s shift at Amazon to finish. They then made the 2 and a part hour force to East Carolina College in Greenville, North Carolina, with hopes of maintaining Revel’s soccer dream alive.
Deficient grades and a string of accidents in highschool had left Revel wanting a Hail Mary, as he had spent the previous two years in junior school in Louisburg, North Carolina, enjoying in simply two video games. Shavon Revel Sr., who is going by way of Keith, was once satisfied his son, together with his measurement, velocity and force, simply wanted a possibility.
That opportunity got here June 6, 2021, on the ECU prospect camp. On about an hour’s sleep, Revel blew everyone away with a 4.4 time within the 40-yard sprint, an 11-foot huge bounce and a 39-inch vertical soar. Mix the ones marks with a 6-foot-2, 190-pound body and an arm duration of 32 5/8 inches (his wingspan positioned him within the 87th percentile amongst all gamers at this yr’s NFL mix), and it is simple to peer why Revel’s fortunes had been about to modify.
“We did not know a lot about him, in point of fact not anything, however had been like, ‘Holy smokes!’ after we noticed him run and determine in one of the vital place drills,” stated ECU trainer Blake Harrell, who was once then the Pirates’ defensive coordinator. “You simply do not see that more or less velocity, together with his chopping talent, at his measurement and his duration.”
ECU introduced Revel a scholarship at the spot, however with one situation. He needed to enhance his grades to grow to be eligible.
“That is all I had to pay attention,” Revel stated.
The bleary-eyed go back and forth had paid off.
“The force again [from ECU] was once much more thrilling than the force there,” Revel Sr. stated. “We had been exhausted.”
With a trail got down to play Department I school and, most likely, within the NFL, Revel was once made up our minds to ship. There can be extra adversity, together with a knee harm that value him lots of the 2024 season, however now he is one of the vital intriguing cornerback potentialities within the upcoming draft. ESPN’s Jordan Reid lists him because the No. 4 cornerback within the magnificence, and an NFL school group of workers director informed ESPN, “He is a man you put your time table to.”
“There is a good deal extra in the market that individuals have not noticed from me, and they will,” Revel stated.
Anyplace he finally ends up, it’s going to be a ways from Louisburg Faculty and the Amazon warehouse.
After a school occupation that had its tough patches, Shavon Revel Jr. is among the best 5 cornerbacks within the NFL draft. Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Pictures
REVEL WAS A two-way standout, basically as quarterback, receiver and defensive again, at a couple of excessive faculties within the Winston-Salem space, however as a result of he was once an educational non-qualifier, he had no Department I gives, which led him to Louisburg Faculty. His first season in 2020 was once canceled as a result of the pandemic, and whilst Revel stayed in form, he struggled in the study room.
“I had horrible grades, and it began all through my first couple of years of highschool,” Revel stated. “It was once an excessive amount of soccer and now not sufficient of the whole lot else in the study room. I take duty.”
Revel Sr., who runs a 7-on-7 group in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, knew his son may play at a excessive degree, however would not get spotted with out school sport tape to turn coaches.
So Revel Sr. signed his son up for the ECU camp, which was once designed basically for highschool gamers.
After Revel’s eye-opening efficiency, there was once little need for the ECU coaches to actually have a dialogue. They sought after Revel, however he wanted a 2.5 GPA with an affiliate stage from Louisburg to be eligible.
“They took a possibility on anyone who had a 2.0,” Revel stated. “It wasn’t like numerous faculties had been lining as much as be offering anyone a scholarship that had a 2.0 in junior school.
“I by no means forgot that.”
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Revel’s father had additionally signed his son up for an NC State camp later that week, however they as an alternative headed again to Winston-Salem and to the Amazon warehouse grind for a couple of extra weeks.
With the ECU be offering as incentive, Revel made excellent on his phrase and progressed his grades sufficient to be eligible.
“There was once not more bull—-, none of that,” Revel stated. “ECU unfolded a window for me. I used to be going to get my grades proper. I wasn’t going to seem again.”
The ECU coaches knew that they had a hidden gem and stored shut tabs on Revel. Steve Ellis, who’s now at Louisville, was once ECU’s cornerbacks trainer on the time and made common journeys to Louisburg to test on Revel’s growth.
Phrase temporarily unfold about Revel’s spectacular appearing on the ECU camp, together with passion from North Carolina and Kentucky.
“The calls had been beginning to are available, however Shavon was once set on doing what he had to do to get to ECU,” Louisburg defensive coordinator Jonathan Hodges stated. “That is simply him. He’d already been thru so much and did not waver. He knew what he sought after.”
That unravel has sustained Revel since he was once a child enjoying what he and his brothers known as “throw up” soccer anyplace they may discover a makeshift box and religiously operating up the steep concrete hill, night time and day, in entrance of his mom’s cellular house.
“That is the manner I got here up,” Revel stated. “You do not make excuses. You do not blame what is came about to you in lifestyles. You move get it. You’re taking it. Nobody’s going to really feel sorry for you.”
Even if the blows stay coming.
Throughout his sophomore yr in highschool, Revel was once interested by a major automobile twist of fate when his father blacked out in the back of the wheel after being triumph over by way of a violent coughing have compatibility, crashing the automobile right into a cement wall. Two of Revel’s brothers had been additionally within the automobile. Everyone survived, however Shavon suffered a fractured cranium, requiring surgical procedure, and a damaged nostril. His sophomore season was once over, and it took him part a yr to rehabilitate to the place he may play soccer once more. Then his junior season was once reduce brief when he broke his collarbone.
In 2022, his first season at ECU, he bumped into extra harm issues when he harm his hand all through preseason camp. He confirmed promise on particular groups that yr, however the one defensive snaps he performed had been within the Birmingham Bowl in opposition to Coastal Carolina.
“We most probably will have to have performed him extra, however it’s essential to inform he was once coming,” Harrell stated. “The rest you requested him to do, he did one hundred pc. It was once by no means like enjoying particular groups was once underneath him.”
Then in 2023, Revel had his step forward.
As soon as he landed at East Carolina, Revel drew the eye of NFL scouts with a breakout season in 2023. ECU Athletics
BY THE SUMMER of 2023, Revel had grown larger and more potent — he had received about 20 kilos after weighing slightly 170 on the finish of highschool — and by way of the halfway level of that season, NFL scouts had been already directly to him.
He had all of the measurables the professionals love in press cornerbacks — and the manufacturing; he led the Pirates with 12 move breakups, blocked two kicks and completed with 54 overall tackles. In line with Professional Soccer Focal point, Revel compelled incompletions on 26% of his goals in protection, which ranked proper in the back of Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, who was once taken twenty second general by way of the Philadelphia Eagles within the 2024 draft.
Revel stated a significant factor in his growth was once the coming of cornerbacks trainer Jules Montinar, who’s now at Oklahoma State.
“Trainer [Montinar] taught me the placement of cornerback. He confirmed me the right way to play it, walked me thru each little element,” Revel stated. “The whole lot I did not have, he mounted. “
To Montinar, Revel was once a perfect scholar.
“He was once most effective scratching the skin,” Montinar stated. “The item that I beloved about him was once he embraced each minute of it all through the nice instances and the dangerous instances. He authorised being coached. We went 2-10, however he performed his ass off, was once bodily, blocked kicks, broke up passes, you title it.
“We knew he had all of the gear. However you were given to remember the fact that was once in point of fact his first complete season at cornerback. He’d performed most commonly quarterback, receiver and protection in highschool and performed a complete of 2 actual video games in two years at junior school. That is superb.”
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Similarly superb was once that Revel, on the earth of the switch portal and profitable NIL payouts, was once nonetheless with ECU when the 2024 season started. Montinar had already warned Revel and his father that their mobile phones can be humming, and with the Pirates having their first bye week 5 video games into the 2023 season, the calls started pouring in.
“It was once just the beginning,” Revel Sr. stated. “You title it, and so they had been calling, virtually like they had been entering into line for when the portal opened in December. And it all was once unlawful, each little bit of it. On occasion it was once possibly a three-way name between other coaches, and one time it was once a defensive coordinator telling us he may get us $600,000.”
Revel did not input the portal in December, however that did not stay him from listening. He had six-figure gives from one of the vital largest manufacturers in school soccer, together with contemporary Faculty Soccer Playoff groups from the SEC and Large Ten.
Revel held company. The iciness switch portal got here and went, and he was once nonetheless a Pirate.
“We knew he left some huge cash at the desk,” ECU athletic director Jon Gilbert stated. “We did what shall we to lend a hand him, but it surely was once pennies at the buck to what he may have gotten in other places.
“What I at all times admired about him is that he by no means got here and attempted to leverage us. I feel he knew we could not pay anyplace just about what he was once being introduced, however he by no means went down that street. The opposite factor is that he in point of fact sought after to graduate.”
Montinar knew the Pirates would additionally need to climate the spring switch portal in 2024, and by way of that point, all 32 NFL groups had both come to peer Revel or had been scheduled to peer him individually.
“I noticed him two times and was once hoping to peer him a 3rd time,” the NFL school group of workers director stated. “He was once tall and lengthy, were given out and in of breaks, wasn’t afraid to position his head down and take on. And the truth that he stayed unswerving to ECU stated so much about his personality.”
The temptation for Revel all through the spring portal window was once excruciating.
“I sought after him to make his personal choice,” Revel Sr. stated. “I additionally sought after him to understand that was once some huge cash to show down and sought after him to significantly imagine it. As a father, you need to peer your youngsters get what they have got were given coming to them.”
It was once a choice that stored Revel up at night time as the times counted down till the portal window closed closing April.
“I’d be like, ‘Rattling, that is some huge cash.’ I used to be combating with myself,” Revel stated. “However I stored going again to ECU believing in me within the first position. The ones different faculties providing me all that cash were not there after I wanted anyone to offer me a possibility.
“I used to be going to be true to myself. They were not going to shop for me.”
A 2024 ACL tear hasn’t weakened Revel’s unravel. “I wasn’t going to let it drag me down,” he stated. Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Pictures
WITH HIS NFL inventory emerging and analysts projecting Revel as a first-round pick out, he had a dizzying begin to the 2024 season. He intercepted two passes in his first 3 video games and returned one for a landing. One in every of his priorities within the offseason was once turning move breakups into interceptions.
“He was once getting all this main consideration by way of scouts, the media, everyone, and he by no means modified,” Montinar stated. “90-nine p.c of the gamers I have coached would have taken the cash and run. However now not Shavon. He is the essence of a low-maintenance, high-production man.”
That was transparent once more when any other problem got here Revel’s manner.
Throughout the Wednesday observe after ECU’s 3rd sport of the 2024 season, Revel grew to become to damage on a ball and landed awkwardly on his left knee. He straight away grabbed his knee in ache.
“It made me in poor health, only a freak harm,” Montinar recalled.
Revel knew it was once dangerous, and exams quickly showed his worst fears. He had torn an ACL and was once out for the remainder of the season.
“On the time, you assume your international goes to s—,” Revel stated. “However you have to transfer previous that. It took me two or 3 days to recover from it, however I wasn’t going to let it drag me down. I hadn’t let the rest drag me down my entire lifestyles and wasn’t going to begin then.”
As an alternative, he and Montinar performed learn about classes going over other schemes, strengths and weaknesses of NFL receivers, the rest to organize Revel mentally for the following degree. Revel stuffed two binders with knowledge, his personal little soccer bible.
In December, Revel earned his stage in communications, with Revel’s father and mom, Tomecka Rapley, entrance and middle at his graduation rite. As an alternative of throwing in the towel of college to pay attention only at the rehabilitation of his knee, Revel remained on campus and posted a three.0 GPA his ultimate semester.
“You end what you get started,” Revel stated. “I discovered that from each my oldsters in gazing what they did for us after we did not have a complete lot arising. My mother made probably the most out of the littlest of items, and we had been thankful.”
Revel underwent surgical procedure Oct. 15 in Dallas. Dr. Daniel E. Cooper, the Cowboys’ head doctor, carried out the surgical procedure and penned a be aware to all NFL common managers, head running shoes and group of workers administrators in mid-February assuring them Revel is on course to be totally cleared by way of this summer time.
Rehab is coming alongside effectively for ECU CB Shavon Revel Jr, following ACL reconstruction on Oct. fifteenth.
Probably the most premier corners within the magnificence, Revel is as much as 21 mph at the treadmill, and stays on course to be totally cleared this summer time. percent.twitter.com/pHwAau6QL4
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) March 19, 2025
Revel not too long ago reached 21 miles in line with hour on a treadmill, and Cooper expects him to be cleared for all energy and conditioning actions and person and chopping drills as a defensive again, when he studies to the group that drafts him later this month. Revel may not be cleared for participation with the group till coaching camp in July.
“It stinks that he were given harm as a result of almost about everyone had him as one in every of their best corners and a definite first-round pick out earlier than the harm,” one NFL scout informed ESPN. “Getting adjusted to the velocity of the sport is a problem for each rookie at that place, which is the hardest to play in our league. But if [Revel] does get beat, he assists in keeping getting again up and placing himself again within the battle. Coaches are going to like that about him.”
ESPN’s Matt Miller has Revel being decided on in the second one around of his newest mock draft. Former longtime NFL govt and common supervisor Mike Tannenbaum, now an analyst for ESPN, has Revel going No. 23 general within the first around to the Inexperienced Bay Packers in his newest mock.
“Now that it is soccer 24/7, Shavon goes to thrive,” Montinar stated. “And going thru the whole lot he is been thru, there is not anything that is going to faze him.”
Revel has adopted a cornerback’s creed going again to his days of loading containers at that Amazon warehouse within the wee hours of the morning.
“You were given to have a brief reminiscence if you will play cornerback,” Revel stated. “You surrender a catch, and it is directly to the following play. You ain’t were given time to be putting your head. That is simply the way in which you have to assume when you are in the market on an island in protection.
“And it is the identical manner in lifestyles.”
