NFL rookie with six fingers signs for Carolina Panthers to complete against-all-odds journey to the league
Weaver, who was born with polydactyly, a birth defect where a baby is 'born with extra fingers on their hand or extra toes on their foot,' per the Cleveland Clinic.
About one in every thousand babies are born with polydactyly, with treatments differing based on where the extra digit is located.
Weaver has six fully functioning fingers, with his gloves from his days at Kentucky made specially for his unique limb.
Weaver was a star under Mark Stoops' Wildcats team in the stiff competition of the Southeastern Conference for six years.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound linebacker had an extra-long stay in Lexington with a redshirt year in 2019 and being granted an additional year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Weaver played for six seasons at Kentucky before getting his NFL opportunity in Carolina
After going undrafted, Weaver originally was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers, but was waived earlier this year.
His next chance at the NFL comes across the country in a more favorable situation, as the Panthers are an up-and-coming team looking to contend in the NFC South.
Weaver now has an uphill battle to make the Panthers' 53-man roster, as he has around a month until the harsh cut, with less time around his teammates and Carolina's coaches than most.
Yet, him impressing without making that cut could lead to future opportunities with other teams, including as a valued member of the practice squad.
Weaver is one of three Kentucky players all time to be a captain in three separate seasons. Those leadership skills may translate to NFL success despite being born with six fingers on his right hand.
The NFL does not have a rule on polydactyly, stating whether it gives Weaver a competitive advantage, or disadvantage, as did the NCAA.
Now, it is just a matter of time to see whether the six-finger man can stick with the Panthers.
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The Independent
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Caproni appeared to side with the coaches in March of 2023 writing that the NFL has a 'long history of systematic discrimination toward Black players, coaches, and managers' which she found 'incredibly troubling.' 'Although the clear majority of professional football players are Black, only a tiny percentage of coaches are Black,' she said. Although NFL players are predominantly black, just 31 of 173 head coaches were African-American between 2000 and 2024, according to The Associated Press. Currently the NFL has only a handful of black head coaches, including Tomlin, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Todd Bowles, Houston Texans DeMeco Ryans, and the Atlanta Falcons' Raheem Morris.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Former Denver Nuggets mascot sues NBA team saying they fired him after he got hip replacement surgery
The man behind the mascot of the Denver Nuggets, known for viral stunts and physically demanding slam dunks, is suing the NBA team's parent company, claiming wrongful termination after a hip injury. The man inside the suit playing 'Rocky,' Drake Solomon, alleged in a lawsuit Wednesday that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment fired him in August 2024, months after he had hip replacement surgery, The Denver Post reported. The lawsuit accuses the Nuggets of violating the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act through discrimination based on disability, retaliation and two claims of aiding and abetting unfair employment practices against Solomon's supervisors. It asks for an unspecified amount of money. 'I grew up around it my entire life,' Solomon told 9News. He took on the role of Rocky from his father, Kenn, who wore the suit for three decades before retiring in 2021. 'I had a strong loyalty to this company since I was two weeks old on the court, and it was just heartbreaking, not just for me, but for my family as well,' he said. Following his father's retirement from the high-energy costume character role, Solomon said he was the only person invited to try out to play the beloved Rocky. However, issues started to rise soon after taking on the physically demanding role. Solomon developed hip pain and was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, a disease caused by the loss of blood supply to the bone, according to the lawsuit. Solomon underwent two surgeries to try and fix the issue, one in March 2023 and then a hip replacement in April 2024, according to the filing. He was told there would be an open tryout for the position 'regardless of the outcome' of his surgery — even though Solomon told his supervisors his doctors expected him to make a full recovery in a matter of months, the suit claims. When Solomon returned to work on May 20, he was met with hostility, according to the lawsuit. Even though he performed the duties of his job that summer, management still held tryouts for the position ahead of the 2024-2025 season. Solomon claims in the lawsuit that during auditions, he completed all the physical requirements — and even taught other applicants how to dunk in the Rocky costume. He was fired soon after tryouts, and management did not provide a reason at the time, the lawsuit alleges. The NBA team's parent company later claimed he was let go because he did not score first in the tryouts. Solomon's complaint also calls for a potential class action lawsuit, stemming from the severance agreement he was offered upon firing. 'It was not easy to go ahead with this because I love the Nuggets,' Solomon told the Colorado Sun. 'They've been my whole life and my family. For things to end the way they did it was pretty heartbreaking.' 'We loved Rocky our entire lives,' he added. 'We always looked at the Nuggets as a second family and Rocky as a second dad. For it to end so cold … it's kind of like losing a family member. My dad was pretty devastated when he heard. He was the one that suggested I look into seeing what I can do to make some wrongs right.' Solomon claims management offered the same severance agreement, which he claims is unlawful, or a similar one to several other employees.
