Great Valley High School graduate and University of Delaware safety Nasir Adderley has overcome the academic struggles that prevented him from signing with a major college football program and has since blossomed into a coveted NFL prospect, writes Scott Bair for NBC Sports.

“He can play safety, nickel, and maybe even some cornerback out there,” said Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who coached Adderley at the Senior Bowl in January. “He has good feet. He’s smart. He attacks the ball well.”

Adderley was considered a big-time talent but created some roadblocks on his path to college football stardom.

“That was on me,” Adderley said. “I had an interesting recruiting process. I struggled academically. I was young and immature. I didn’t understand the importance of academics, and then I got a rude wake-up call. I had a good junior season (in high school), and I had dream FBS schools come to talk to me. Day after day, I was told those schools would love to have me, but they couldn’t offer me because they didn’t know I was going to clear (academic standards).”

After a stellar career with the Blue Hens, Adderley may be selected in the late first round or early second round of the NFL Draft in April. He has a great pedigree in the sport, as his cousin, Herb Adderley, a cornerback with the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s, is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Also, Nasir’s grandfather, Nelson Adderley, played in the Canadian Football League.

Read more about Nasir Adderley at NBC Sports here.