#WeTackleRare. Have you ever wondered what you would do if life takes on a ride from being a wrestler in the Ivy League to being an SEC lineman? A “larger than life” journey that kick-started when this DL hit the portal and called Pennsylvania Quakers his new home. “In our household, we literally were not allowed to use the word ‘can’t… It was like the equivalent of cursing. Stuff like that shaped my mentality.” Albeit missing out on making a mark in his junior year, his senior year was much more fruitful: First-team all-state. This was what initially opened the doors to Penn and, subsequently, the Florida Gators.

Bringing in 48 total tackles and 4 sacks for Quakers – if you thought this DL was only planning on winning the hearts of the FCS Nation, then you are dead wrong. “95% of #rarediseases lack an FDA-approved treatment. I am teaming up with @UpliftingAth to change that! Join us & pledge for each rep of 225 I put up at @GatorsFB Pro Day,” NFL-bound Gators DL Joey Slackman shared. This is a monumental step in the right direction. For years, people with rare diseases have faced 3x higher medical costs on average when compared to those who didn’t have any rare diseases.

The pledge for $1000 on Uplifting Athletes will surely add to the ongoing efforts to meet the medical needs of patients and families. You know? It’s kind of funny that Slackman pulling this move feels so predictable – in a good way. 

Remember when Billy Napier said, “He’s very motivated and driven. The biggest compliment I can give him is when he took his official visit here. I literally got 12 to 15 players coming up to me saying, ‘Coach, we gotta get that guy.’ He checked all the boxes.” Yeah, it’s definitely Joey, alright.

We often find ourselves going back to that one thing Paul Slackman, Joey’s father, had said. “He had the surgery a week before. He decided to go running with the sling on. He ran 8-9 miles alongside this main road down there. He had all these cars honking and waving at him. That really signifies the determination he has,” Paul had pointed out.

It is this determination that has pushed Joey to move towards this rep challenge and help the unfortunate out. Man, all of this gets us all giddy for his NFL journey!!

Slackman’s NFL conquest

“I have nothing but gratitude for all that’s come from this unique journey.” When we revisit Slackman’s journey in football, one thing that stands out the most is the fact that Joey never wanted to play football in the first place. He opted for wrestling to get an Ivy League education.

But life always has something weird in store for us. Enter 2023, and Slackman is now Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. “When I did make the decision to switch to football, it was, you know, after a pretty difficult period of my life,” Joey pointed out.

Numerous injuries and multiple surgeries later, football became the savior he needed, and his wrestling experience made him the perfect defensive candidate. After hitting the portal in 2023, Joey was instantly the 6th best transfer option available.

From there on, his final year was spent with the Gators, recording 2 solo tackles and 5 assists. Now, what’s to see is his impact at the big league. Can Joey pull off a miracle and mirror Justin Watson‘s run in the NFL? Only time will tell.