Derailed by a serious knee injury and the pandemic that cancelled the 2020 Pro Day, former SMU cornerback Jordan Wyatt is hoping for one more shot to prove himself in the NFL (photo by Patrick Kleineberg).

Former SMU safety Chris Banjo is one of the most remarkable success stories in the NFL.

Consider how many players leave college each year with a dream of playing professionally — most do not make it. Banjo beat even longer odds: a senior in 2011, Banjo went undrafted and had brief tryouts with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the then-Oakland Raiders, but got cut. He spent a year working in Dallas and training, and the following summer landed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals, Banjo signed a one-year extension last month to remain with the Cardinals.

Now former SMU cornerback Jordan Wyatt is trying to top Banjo by following him to the NFL.

Wyatt ran drills at SMU’s Pro Day in March, more than two full years after his last game in 2018, when his senior season was cut short by a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. The SMU record holder for defensive touchdowns (5) and interception return yards (289), and once thought to be a sure candidate to be drafted, Wyatt was left to chase his professional dreams as a free agent with the Saints, who cut him.

“I wasn’t as confident (in the injured knee) as I tried to make it seem,” Wyatt said. “I was always telling everyone it was OK, but deep down inside I knew I was nowhere near player I was before tearing my ACL. I’d had two major surgeries before going in to (training) camp, and I didn’t have a full offseason to strengthen my body. I put so much on myself. You tell yourself you’re 100 percent, but your body doesn’t lie to you. I wasn’t back to where I wanted to be, and it was pretty obvious.”

Former SMU cornerback Jordan Wyatt finished his college career with more interception return yards (289) than anyone in program history (photo by Patrick Kleineberg).

Wyatt headed home, where he resumed training. Being around his old SMU teammates helped somewhat, but not playing was frustrating. His girlfriend — now fiancée — Ariana helped him navigate the disappointment. The two plan to marry next summer.

“It was difficult, being out a whole year,” Wyatt said. “Our plans for the future got delayed, but it was all about ‘now what’s next?’ It was extremely difficult, but she really helped me keep hope. I rehabbed as hard as I could, and I had to be more patient.

“It was really tough, but it made us stronger. She stuck with me and never wavered. She always had the most confidence in me, and made sacrifices for us to allow me to pursue the dream of playing in the NFL. She never doubted me once. She picked me up when I felt like I was falling down, and was always there to catch me.”

Whether he reaches the NFL remains to be seen, but at least he got a chance to show scouts that his knee is fully healed. Other former SMU players who came back to work out for professional scouts included former SMU tight end Ryan Becker, wide receiver Myron Gailliard and running back Ke’Mon Freeman; shortly after Pro Day, Becker inked a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Wyatt had planned to take part in the Mustangs’ 2020 Pro Day, but it was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic

“In March of last year, I felt like I was ready,” he said. “I had strengthened up my quad and hamstring, gotten my explosiveness and lateral movement back. Everything was the same, back to 100 percent. I felt like I was going to show (scouts) what I hadn’t been able to show them the year before.”

Wyatt had reached out to SMU in 2020, asking if he could take part in Pro Day, before the pandemic ended that chance. This year, the invitation came from the SMU football program.

“I wasn’t going to do Pro Day this year, but I got a group message about it,” he said. “I knew they had a good team, I new (NFL) teams would come out to see guys like Buechele, Stephens and Granson, and thought why not? Even if I do just drills, it’s an opportunity to show scouts I’m 100 percent, and that I’m ready to get back in the league at any cost.”

As it turns out, Wyatt wasn’t allowed to do the whole Pro Day — just drills. Just that allowed him to fulfill his goals for the day.

“I just wanted them to see my movement on drills,” Wyatt said. “I wanted them to know there is a drastic difference between me now and two years ago. I talked to my agent (Rodney Ardoin) and made sure he sent results to all of the teams.”

Wyatt said he is in the best shape he has been in in years, carrying 195 pounds on his 5-foot-11 frame. The speed and explosiveness that were evident throughout his SMU career, he said, have returned.

For all of his numerous athletic gifts, Wyatt is smart, a cerebral player on the field who understands the nuances of playing anywhere in the secondary, and rational enough to know that the odds of getting to the NFL at this point are long.

“Everybody’s story is different,” he said. “I don’t know what my chances are. I’ve heard nothing (from NFL teams) so far, but the NFL is a wait-and-see game. I could get a call right before training camp, or even during the season. I trust in God’s plan. I’m taking this one day at a time, which means I have to wait and see.

“There definitely are some challenging days, and there has always been some doubt. ‘Am I doing this for nothing?’ But something in me knows that something good is going to happen. Where? I’m not sure, but pretty confident that somehow, I’ll get an opportunity to get back in the NFL.”

When he was in camp with the Saints, Wyatt said he talked briefly with Banjo, who encouraged him to stay hungry and keep working. The comeback experience, Wyatt said, has helped him in ways that will benefit him in the future, whether or not he ever plays again.

“It has made me grow up even more as a man,” he said. “When you really face what’s next, life after ’ball, it really makes you look at the bigger picture. I’m still driven to play ball, but master plan for after ball. If playing football doesn’t work out, I’d like to get a (graduate assistant) position in college, particularly at SMU; if not, there’s a high school position coach job out there.

While continuing his training, Wyatt, armed with a sport management degree, has been working as a long-term substitute teacher at Achieve Academy, where his mother works, and coaching at the Bullitt Experience, a training academy in Rowlett.

“This is my last shot — it’s now or never. I know the window keeps getting smaller, and I’m not getting younger. At the end of the day, I’ve got to be realistic. I’ll keep fighting, keep pursuing, but at some point I’m going to move on — just not yet.

“One of these days, it will be time to hang up the cleats. It’s tough to say when, because I’ve been playing since I was a kid. All I know is I had a good career at SMU, I got a taste of the NFL, and I know I have a lot more in the tank. If I get blessed enough to get one more shot to continue to live out my dreams, I’ll make the most of it. If not, I’ll be happy anyway. I have a lot to be thankful for.”

Wyatt scored five defensive touchdowns at SMU, more than any player in program history (photo by Patrick Kleineberg).