Connecticut native Jahsim Mathurin stayed home to begin his college career, attending Connecticut State University where he would play defensive back for one season. Mathurin would end up leaving the program but kept playing football turning to other means to stay involved. Mathurin will be attending the San Diego event.
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Jahsim Mathurin Turns to Showcases for a Leg-Up
Trying to transition from college to the professional level is hard enough without producing in school, but without a pro-day or combine it’s impossible. Mathurin knew this and attended several workouts since leaving school to help raise his profile. This included CFL workouts, Grid Camp, and the IFA showcase series. Now he will attend the 2024 UFL showcase in San Diego, California.
There’s a saying: “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” In this case, even if you’re doing everything in your power to make it, the odds are still stacked against you but if you don’t try you can’t succeed. With around 1,000 players expected to participate in these showcases nationally, it gives guys like Mathurin a chance to show he belongs at a higher level. At previous workouts, he has put up these personal bests while standing 5’10 175 pounds:
40 time: 4.74
Shuttle: 4.84
3 cone drill: 7.08
Broad jump: 8’4
Vertical: 33.5
From Semi-Pro to UFL?
In 2024 we watched another defensive back Qwan’tez Stiggers get drafted in the 5th round of the NFL Draft despite not playing any college football giving men like Mathurin hope that there is a pathway carved out by those before them. After a strong end to his high school career with 30 tackles and 1 interception he walked into college hoping to make the most of it.
Unfortunately, this did not pan out as hoped for Mathurin. Ultimately he decided it was in his best interests to pursue new avenues for football. Playing football while attending school can sometimes be a difficult balancing act, and Mathurin being allowed to focus on football was not the worst thing in the world at this point in his career. He spent his years working and working out, setting himself up for a future in professional football, although the transition has not been easy.
Faced with few options coming out of college he would turn to playing semi-professional football in Canada to get his feet wet and attempt to get more film. A housing situation prompted him to leave before completing the season.
Playing with the Peace Country Cowboys of the Alberta Football League in 2023 gave him some experience and another team on his resume but hasn’t yet helped generate interest outside of an invite to play for Team USA in August of 2024. An invitation he intends to honor to get the updated film as well.
What might not be immediately obvious to our readers is that most of these showcases, and international games cost players money. This is their way of building a resume but it doesn’t come for free. This just shows how badly these guys want it, but it’s also a calculated gamble that you can get good enough film with a team thrown together from players across the country given a short practice window.
Determination and Perseverance Can’t be Taught
Having had many conversations with Mathurin myself, I feel fairly confident saying at some point soon a professional team is going to give Jahsim a chance and look like geniuses because of it. You can’t teach desire, you can’t force a will to succeed through all struggles. What I can vouch for are his intangibles, as for the rest when asked if he would attend team tryouts Jahsim says “An opportunity is an opportunity.”
Mathurin is still looking for his first professional opportunity at this point but born on August 15th, 2001 he is only going to be 23 years old. Getting his first professional opportunity would be a fitting birthday present for a man who took the road less traveled and worked tirelessly for everything he earned. If not for some setbacks this result may have come much earlier but to his credit, Jahsim simply worries about what he can control.
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