The goal of many college football players is to graduate and join the ranks of the NFL. Some even leave school behind upon receiving a call from a professional team. But not so for Louisville High School and Alcorn State University alumnus, Chris Blair, who recently signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers.
A lifelong resident of Louisville, Blair graduated from Louisville High School in 2016. He then played two years of JUCO football at Hinds Community College before transferring to Alcorn State for his junior and senior seasons.
Blair recalled his first experience with organized football came as a sixth-grader, playing with the Winston County Chiefs. He said later playing at LHS, one of the winningest high school program in the state of Mississippi, only prepared him for bigger and better things.
"Coming up in Louisville, all we did was win — winning important games and state championships. Growing up, I had to take on the mentality that I hate to lose more than I love to win. Louisville taught me that, and I took that same mindset to college,” he said.
Blair, who plays wide receiver, said his two years at Hinds CC helped him to acclimate to a different level of the game, where every player is trying to prove himself and win a scholarship to a bigger school. He acknowledged the JUCO route was a definite benefit for him, providing a time to mature and grow, not only as a player but also as a young man.
Blair’s path to the Green Bay Packers did not take the traditional route through the NFL draft. Although Blair explained that projections showed he could be selected in the later rounds, he was unable to hold a pro day for scouts to assess him due to COVID-19.
Fortunately, Blair received a call from the Packers organization on Sept. 1, 2020, inviting him for a workout. On New Year’s Day, his agent informed him the Packers wanted to sign him. Blair acknowledged that 2020 had been a rough year for everyone, and signing with the Packers on January 7 was the perfect way to begin 2021.
“Football has to end one day, and you never know when. There’s not really a timetable on when it ends,” he said, citing that some players have long careers, while others play for only a year or two.
The wise thing, he said, is to have a plan to follow after football is over.
Blair will receive his degree from Alcorn State in May and report to the Packers’ rookie mini-camp later that month.
He sees the opportunity to play in the NFL as a true blessing, recognizing that very few high school players ever make it to that level. And he noted that with all of the great athletes coming from Winston County, very few have played at the professional level.
Blair is the son of Mark Blair and Torya Blair, and has a younger brother, Jaiden, who is a ninth-grader at LHS. He credits his parents with instilling in him his work ethic, which has helped propel him toward a professional career, adding that they showed him that hard work could help him realize his dreams.
