Otis Amey Defies Odds in Pursuit of Second NFL Stint

This was a single moment of lapse.

Otis Amey has been plenty patient in his football career. But at this point, the 28-year-old can't wait. He's hurrying to get back to where he's already been.

His teammates wouldn't arrive on the team bus for another hour. Hornet Stadium was still empty; except for himself and the hustling workforce preparing for the Mountain Lions home opener that was still four hours away.

Amey was home, back to the place where he made his name as a standout wide receiver at Sacramento State. However, his route back to this moment was more elaborate than any slant or button hook.

No one would've faulted Amey if he had given up long before that Mountain Lions opener. But he's never listened to the voices of doubt that called him undersized or ignored his speed. For his entire football career, the 5-foot-10 wideout has been overlooked.

He could have walked away at any point. But he never did, and still hasn't.

There was the playoff game during his senior season at James Logan High School in Union City, where Amey - ranked as one of the top players in the area – had a wealth of scholarship offers and 150 yards in the first half. But water was building up in his knee and by halftime he couldn't bend his leg. After that, all but two scholarship offers were withdrawn; only Sacramento State and U.C. Davis remained.

"I know a lot of guys who hung it up after being cut once [by the NFL] It's a hard thing to go through for guys, especially after being 'the man' in college. I just had to keep grinding and keep working hard."
--Otis Amey He could have become jaded. Instead, Amey became a two-time All-American at Sac State and became the program's all-time leader in nearly all major receiving and return statistical categories.

Then there were the seven anxious rounds of an NFL Draft that never saw Amey's name selected.

Again, he could have surrendered. Instead, he showed up to every pro camp he could attend. He wouldn't let himself be overlooked. Every route, every bench-press; he had to be perfect. Defying the odds, he was invited to 49ers training camp.

"Once I got to camp, my motto was that every play they had to notice me," Amey said.

Then, he had the play that guaranteed he would be noticed. It was Amey versus former NFL veteran safety Keith Lewis. Amey was trying to knock heads off, and in that moment during practice, he got the best of Lewis. 49ers' coaches showed the play eight times during film review, remarking that the long shot out of Sac State was making a case for a roster spot.

Then, Amey caught fellow rookie Alex Smith's only touchdown pass in the preseason. Ultimately, that "undersized, slow receiver" had done it again. Despite the odds, he made the 49ers team.

"It was unbelievable," Amey said. "I wanted to tell everyone. I called everyone I could. I went to the Cal vs. Sac State game that day to tell everyone I made it."

The first time he touched the football in an NFL game, Amey returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown in the team's opener against the Rams. His cuts were crisp and quick, his ability to allude the hand of the lone defender who touched him on the play was proof of his strength; the doubters were wrong.

"At that moment, it was so unbelievable," Amey said. "If anyone doesn't believe there is a God, just look at that. I still think about it to this day. I get chills watching it, knowing it could still happen again."

The image following his touchdown, pointing both arms to the sky, was on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, the play was on Sportscenter – the underdog had made it.

The flash of triumph was fairly fleeting though. After playing in the 49ers' first five games, Amey suffered an injury when the team's running back, Kevan Barlow, stepped on the back of Amey's foot and rolled his ankle. Amey returned back to action for Week 12, 14 and 17.

Those were the last NFL games that Amey ever played. He was among the last cuts by the 49ers in 2006, making room for newly drafted receiver Brandon Williams. It was Amey or Williams, and the new rookie had just been signed for big money. In 2007, Amey played in two preseason games for the Atlanta Falcons before being the last player cut.

"I know a lot of guys who hung it up after being cut once," Amey said. "It's a hard thing to go through for guys, especially after being 'the man' in college. I just had to keep grinding and keep working hard."

His route hasn't ended.

After two seasons in the Arena Football League – one in which he led the league in receiving yards – and a brief stint in the Canadian Football League, Amey is still playing football, now in the UFL with the Mountain Lions.

"It's kind of crazy being back on campus," Amey said. "I am doing pregame warmups and people are saying my name. It was crazy hearing the ovation when they said my name. It felt like the Causeway Classic times two. The atmosphere was incredible. If you can't get juiced for that game, something is wrong with you."

Even making it back to this point was difficult. Amey says the competition level in the UFL is right there with the NFL and making the Mountain Lions roster was just as difficult.

"The best thing about playing for coach (Dennis) Green is that there are no politics involved," Amey said. "The guys who make the plays are the guys who play."

It's that understanding that drives Amey, who hopes the UFL will put him back on track for a return to the NFL. That's why he shows up at the stadium earlier than everyone else. That's why he continues to work so hard.

"Knowing that I can do it is what drives me," Amey said. "I watch TV – and I'm not bitter about it – but I know I can still play. I am a realist and I would know if I didn't have it, but I know I have it."