Lynn’s Taveras seeing hard work pay off

The next stop for Lynn?s Melvin Taveras? The National Football League.
?I?ve been playing football since I was 6 years old, so I?ve dreamed of playing in the NFL for a long time,” said the 22-year-old Taveras. “Now the dream is right in front of me.”
Initially disappointed he was not selected in the NFL draft, Taveras ? who graduated from Lynn English in 2011 ? received a call earlier this month from the Minnesota Vikings.
?I had a pro day on March 20,” said Taveras. “There were five or six teams there, which included the Vikings. But after the draft, I was pretty discouraged. I felt like everybody had already been called and signed. Thankfully, that following Sunday, I got a call from that scout from the Vikings.”
Despite the success, nothing ? not even football ? has come easy for Taveras.
?I?m just so happy for him,” said Peter Holey, who coached Taveras at English. “When I heard about it, I teared up. I know the life he had here in Lynn.
?I remember driving him home one night after practice. It was November, and his house didn?t have any lights on. I said, ?Melvin, why aren?t there any lights on in your house?? And he said, ?Coach, we don?t have any electricity.? I realized he didn?t have any heat in the house, either. Then Melvin said, ?Coach, I?ll be all right. I?ll be good.?”
Holey saw potential in Taveras very early. The two worked together before Taveras ever suited up for the Bulldogs.
?When Melvin was a young kid, he was caught driving his brother’s car down Liberty Street the wrong way,” said Holey, who is a lieutenant in charge of youth services for the Lynn Police Department. “I guided him through the court process. I used to take him to court, and I?d often drive him home. We?d have long conversations about school and keeping your eye on the prize.”
Taveras thanked Holey for all the guidance on and off the gridiron. Holey taught him the nuances and subtleties of the game of football, and helped shape him into a better man. Yet, most of all, Taveras was thankful to have someone believe in him.
?Coach Holey pushed me to be a better athlete, a better person, and better student,” said Taveras. “I honestly don?t know what he saw in me. My middle school years weren?t the best time for me. That?s when I got arrested. Then I went to English and changed my ways.
?Football saved my life. Not only in the streets, but also in school ? football forced me to be a better student. Thankfully, I had great coaches with me and my family.”
After graduating from English, Taveras played two seasons of junior college ball with Ventura College in California.
?I didn?t have the GPA to go to a great school and I didn?t have any scholarships,” said Taveras. “But I wanted to play football. So I went to a junior college with six other guys from Massachusetts. Then, after the first two semesters, everyone else didn?t want to go back. Luckily, I went back. I went after it out there.”
Taveras? track to the NFL took a significant turn when he received a scholarship to play at South Dakota State University. The 5-foot-11-inch safety led the Jackrabbits with three interceptions in 2014, and also recorded 55 tackles.
?I just finished my eligibility this year,” he said, “so this is my shot to play in the league.”
Fittingly, Taveras was in Lynn when he received the call from the Vikings.
?I?d slept over my brother?s house and I got the call when I was there,” he said. “I?ve been dreaming about this opportunity, so it?s overwhelming. It?s really a dream come true.”
Taveras has already spent four days at the Vikings? rookie mini camp, and is doing all he can to make the team as a free safety.
?I?m a corner at heart, but I?ve bulked up a little,” he said. “You?re on your own island at corner, but safety allows me to make more plays. I?m a good tackler, so I get more opportunities to make plays. But I?ll do whatever the Vikings ask.”Holey will be watching every step of the way.
?Melvin represents the perseverance that