Dolphins’ Eguavoen hopes to make a big splash

In the off-season before the 2016 CFL campaign, Sam Eguavoen had to attend a free-agent camp just to get a look with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

After three stellar seasons with the Roughriders, Eguavoen had to go through a similar process in hopes of landing a job in the NFL.

His perseverance has paid off. The 26-year-old product of Garland, Texas, earned a roster spot with the Miami Dolphins — and then won a job as a starting linebacker.

“I can’t even describe the feeling (of surviving final cuts),” Eguavoen said Thursday on The Green Zone. “It was a feeling of, ‘Dang, I made it, but I’ve still got so much more to prove.’ I feel like I’m not even close to my prime yet.

“But it’s an amazing feeling. Just seeing how big the locker room was to what it got cut down to and you’re one of the final guys there, it’s just a huge blessing.”

Eguavoen signed with the Roughriders as a free agent after starring at Texas Tech University.

Over his three seasons in Saskatchewan, the 6-foot-0, 227-pounder accumulated 159 defensive tackles, 14 special-teams stops, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception in 38 regular-season games.

He parlayed his play into a free-agent contract with the Dolphins this off-season — and now he has a starting job. Miami opens the 2019 regular season Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

“It’s about to get real, and I’m ready for it,” Eguavoen said. “This is the type of atmosphere I live for.”

Eguavoen credited his family with helping him get to the NFL, most notably his mother.

After his college career ended, Eguavoen was working at a shoe store and was thinking about becoming a police officer. Instead, his mom pushed him to continue searching for an opportunity in pro football.

That chance came in Saskatchewan, and it has led to an NFL gig in Miami.

“She doesn’t want to say too much to me because she doesn’t want me to lose my fire,” Eguavoen said. “She doesn’t want me to see her cry. She keeps it stern, she keeps her mean mug on, but I know she’s proud.”

Having said that, Eguavoen admitted his football career nearly ended prior to the 2018 CFL season.

His father was ill and there weren’t any family members to stay home and care for him. Because of that, Eguavoen contemplated retiring from the Roughriders.

“But then I talked to my family about it and they told me, ‘Keep pushing, man. Give it one more shot. You started something, you might as well finish it,’ ” Eguavoen said. “Then I had the best year of my life (with the Roughriders) and now I’m here.

“I can never thank my family enough for supporting me and being behind me.”

Eguavoen still watches Roughriders games — “My dawg Crief (is) going crazy,” he said of his former teammate/roommate Derrick Moncrief — but his focus during training camp was on the Dolphins.

On Thursday, Eguavoen said he was concentrating on Friday’s practice, not on the season opener against the Ravens. He’s also not thinking yet about playing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Week 2.

Asked if he had to be careful about being awestruck while facing Brady, Eguavoen admitted that might occur after the game. That’s certainly what happened to him after Miami’s first pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons.

“Julio Jones didn’t play but I knew he was on the other sideline,” Eguavoen said of the Falcons’ star receiver. “I wasn’t really starstruck until after the game when I saw him and he told me, ‘Good game.’

“He didn’t know who I was and he didn’t look me in the eye, but I was like, ‘Damn!’ I told my (friends and family) back home, ‘Julio Jones just said “What’s up?” to me. He told me “Good game.” ‘ ”

The Dolphins aren’t in many conversations about teams to watch this season, but that doesn’t concern Eguavoen. He likes his teammates, the defensive scheme and the team’s physicality, so he isn’t worried about what pre-season prognosticators are saying.

Besides, the Dolphins represent something bigger for Eguavoen.

“I definitely do feel like this is my type of team — underdogs, nobody’s ever going to give us a chance (and) people are going to overlook us,” he said. “That’s just how it has been my whole life. That’s my whole journey. It’s still my whole journey; still grinding, still trying to be the best …

“I truly feel like we’re growing something special here.”