Karel Hamilton has gotten used to having to prove himself.
Hamilton, a Strawberry Crest alumnus, has had more coaches since high school than many football players do in an entire career. Even though his college playing days are over, he’s still trying to get another new coach.
This time, Hamilton has his sights set on the National Football League.
“I’ll just be happy if a team picks me up and gives me an opportunity,” Hamilton says.
Hamilton is coming off of a historically good senior season at Samford. His 111 receptions and 1,389 yards set single-season records within the program, and his total yardage was the fourth-most in the nation among NCAA FCS players. His 10.1 catches per game were first in the nation, and his 126.3 yards per game was the second-highest total. He helped lead the Bulldogs to the playoffs, where they had not been since 2013. For his efforts, Hamilton was named to five All-American teams and invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game, held Saturday, Jan. 21, in
St. Petersburg.
“I’ve always worked hard, and I’m going to continue to work hard,” Hamilton says. “Just seeing that it all paid off, throughout senior year … it was a great feeling.”
He finished the Shrine Game with 61 yards on two catches, leading the West receivers in the team’s 10-3 victory. Hamilton’s first reception, a 37-yarder, was the longest play made in the game. His second catch, which went for 24 yards, put his athleticism on display as he had to make a difficult body adjustment to haul in the pass.
Although Hamilton has had a remarkable season, he knows he has plenty of work to do to catch NFL scouts’ full attention.
Because he did not get invited to the NFL Combine, Hamilton will have to impress at a pro day. He’ll have to excel at drills testing his route-running, his ability to create separation and more, but Hamilton believes that his 40-yard dash time — perhaps the nation’s most-watched test in any combine, camp or pro day — could be the biggest barometer for his draft (or free agency) stock.
But, Hamilton’s not short on confidence.
“I have something to prove,” he says. “I’ve been trying to prove people wrong since my freshman year of high school.”
Hamilton has gone through four different high school head coaches — three at Strawberry Crest, where he transferred after his freshman year — four college position coaches and two head coaches at Samford.
Auditioning for yet another coach is, at this point, routine.
“Some guys have been in systems where they’ve been comfortable,” Hamilton says. “I’ve played with many different coaches and they’ve all looked at me as the same player every time.”
It will be Hamilton’s toughest test yet. But, as his coaches at Strawberry Crest and Samford learned, the wideout is used to making the most of any chances he’s given.
“An opportunity is all I need,” he says.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.