Even when his personal life was spinning out of control, when his mother died from lymphoma six days after he left for Ohio State, Jeff Okudah took solace in knowing football came easy.
He was a high school All-American in talent-rich Texas and a star for the Buckeyes who tied Shawn Springs in 2020 as the highest cornerback taken in the modern NFL draft.
But Okudah's first two NFL seasons did not go according to plan, and as the third-year defensive back returned to the field for the start of Detroit Lions training camp Wednesday, 318 days after rupturing his left Achilles tendon, he said the struggles he endured off the field have given him valuable perspective on it.