Former Florida State star hoping latest NFL workout leads to a job

Kalen DeLoach will never back down from a challenge, and he'll face a major uphill battle to get on an NFL roster. 

DeLoach, who spent the last few months with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL, took part in a workout with the Green Bay Packers this week. These workouts are usually done to look for players to invite to training camp.

From there, it's a tall order to get through the first round of cuts, much less compete for a roster spot or a spot on the practice squad. But if there was anyone that could beat the odds, it's DeLoach.

An undersized linebacker who worked his way into being a four-star prospect in the Class of 2019, DeLoach has always had to fight for his position. He grew from being a rotational piece to an integral part of the improving Seminole defenses in 2022 and 2023.

​And DeLoach made arguably the biggest defensive play of the 2023 season, sacking Cade Klubnik to knock the ball loose and picking up the fumble to score a touchdown, helping FSU beat Clemson for the first time in nine years. 

When thinking about the 2023 team, there are likely many names you'll think about (I.e. Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Keon Coleman, Jared Verse), before you get to DeLoach, but was one of the first players not recruited by Mike Norvell that really bought into his plan. He wasn't the most talented player on the Seminole defense, but he was the heartbeat of the unit. 

But DeLoach's greatest mark as a Seminole might have been in the program's darkest moment. With the majority of FSU's starters opting to sit out the Orange Bowl, DeLoach refused. Not only did he refuse, but he was front and center leading up to the game. As the game went on and Georgia began to pile on the points, DeLoach fought the coaches to stay in the game until the final minutes. He wanted to fulfill his duties as a senior leader. 

"I've been there the whole time, so to see the growth, the buy-in, I'm going to remember that forever," DeLoach said after the game. "Because a lot of guys made sacrifices to go out there each and every day to be their best every day. They've pushed every day to be their best."

DeLoach continues to work and there's no doubt in my mind that the work will eventually pay off for him.