#WeTackleRare. Have you ever wondered what you will do if life takes on a ride from being a wrestler in the Ivy League to SEC linemen? 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, the 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 Gainesville – if you thought this DL was only planning on winning the hearts of the Gators 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 towards 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 disease.
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! #WeTackleRare https://t.co/3aKDpC4Drd pic.twitter.com/xd7gVUAcKx
— Joey Slackman (@JoeySlackman) March 13, 2025
The pledge for a $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!!
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