If you watched this past season of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” with the Atlanta Falcons, then you might remember Donte Rumph, who was better known by the nickname “Cupcake.”
The defensive tackle earned the moniker when his teammates believed he overreacted to an elbow injury. Rumph bounced back and played better, but in the end, he still was released by the Falcons.
Now, Rumph is homeless and camping out in front of Atlanta’s practice facility to show his dedication to football. Some friends even helped him make a video to tell his story.
Rumph told Georgia’s 11Alive that after he was cut, his agent also cut ties unexpectedly, causing him to miss out on opportunities with other teams.
“I was released last year after camp, went through some hard times,” Rumph said. “Could not really focus, I kind of lost myself in the midst of it all.”
But Rumph’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed, and now he has a tryout with the New York Jets during their minicamp.
Rumph played in 12 games for the Kentucky Wildcats during his senior season in 2013, amassing 47 combined tackles (six for loss) with two sacks and a forced fumble.
Thumbnail photo via Marvin Gentry/USA TODAY Sports Images
