AMILY NIGHT FOR JINTS’ TOP PICK
Engram’s debut will be emotional night for TE — and his mom
I T TOOK exactly one question, about her son’s professional football debut Friday night, for the emotions to overcome Evan Engram’s proud mother.
Michelle Zelina’s voice choked up and she said: “Oh wow … it’s just gonna be amazing, this whole experience … I’m sorry.”
She was asked why this moment is so emotional for her.
“Just tears of joy … I know how hard he’s worked. … Just being his mom, I still believed in him from Day 1,” Zelina said, still choked up. “Seeing your child live their dreams is just … there’s nothing more amazing than that.”
This was her boy’s dream, from the time it all began as a 5-year-old center with fear in his eyes, to his days as a pre-middle school quarterback with Michael Vick and Craig Krenzel and Doug Zeigler posters in his bedroom, to making enough receptions and touchdown catches at Ole Miss to earn a life-changing call in the first round on draft night from the New York Football Giants.
Zelina forwarded to The Post the text that she sent her son before his senior year at Ole Miss. It read in part:
“WoW! Where do I start, young man?? Just a minute ago, you left a wide eyed high school graduate working for a starting position, now you’re a few hours short of starting your senior camp as one of the best TE’s in history of Ole Miss football!! It’s absolutely amazing of the name you made for yourself in that short time. I remember telling you to dream BiG. Holy moly!! I can’t wait to watch what you are about to make happen this year. Staying your senior year will be one of the best decisions you will have ever made in your lifetime. Hope I’m still aliveli to readd thoseh exact wordsd iin The Book of E and how God’s plan works for your life. ...
“Your hard work is about to pay off and I’m so blessed to be able to witness all of it!! Love you BiG, Evan Michael Engram!! Have fun your senior season! Have no regrets!! (followed by 14 blue and pink heart emojis) “##GOAT #speedlimit17” No longer No. 17, it is #speedlimit88 from now on.
Engram has become the apple of the Giants’ eyes as well, and fans will get their first live look Friday night against the Steeler at Eli Manning’s new 6-foot-3, 240-pound toy who could grow into their Jordan Reed against the Steelers.
Michelle Zelina and Evan’s sister, Mackenzie, will be there, as always, as will his father Derrick.
ThThere was one speedd bbump on the road to the NFL that Michelle and her ex-husband had to navigate through, so young Evan would stop exceeding the adolescent speed limit.
It was when Zelina caught him in a lie.
“Something about him and his girlfriend,” she recalled. “I knew the truth. That’s when I said, ‘Give me your phone.’ ”
This was prior to his senior year of high school.
“I opened that phone and I was sick to my stomach,” Michelle said.
A family meeting was called in the kitchen of their Powder Springs, Ga., home — mother, father, son, daughter.
“I took the phone, his dad took his jersey — the coach gave him his jerseys — and he told him, ‘YYou ddon’t’ ddeserve this.hi YYou ddon’t’ deserve to put this on your back,’ ” Zelina said.
She thought for a minute and added: “Did he take it or did he threaten to take it if he didn’t shape up? I’ll have to ask Evan that one [laugh]. Maybe he threatened to take the jersey away and talked to the coach. … We told the coach, ‘Don’t play him if you don’t have to,’ that kinda thing. Just kinda make him realize this could be taken away from him. We just wanted everybody to be on the same page as far as making it clear to him that he needs to shape up or turn in his jersey.”
It worked. Engram was scared straight, although he soon became frustrated when college programs weren’t pounding on his door. In a Walmart parking lot, Zelina told him: “What aren’t you doing right? You should ask yourself those questions. With what you do in the dark, it comes to light. God knows what you’re doing.”
It wasn’t long before Engram was going to church, wowing the Ole Miss coaches — and the rest is history.
Odell Beckham Jr. FaceTimed Engram shortly after the draft.
“This is where he’s supposed to be,” Zelina said.
Class kid playing now for a class organization with a class quarterback throwing him the football.
“He was more concerned with he’s gotta prove himself, there’s a lot of expectations on his back right now,” Michelle said. “I think Evan’s more concerned with just meeting those expectations for himself … and just doing what’s best for the team. That’s just him. He’s just a team player that whatever it takes to make the New York Giants better, he will help you.”
Of course Zelina is aware of the concussion risk.
“We actually went to see the Will Smith ‘Concussion’ movie together,” she said. “That was a big eye-opener to me about just how bad it really is. He’s always said, ‘Mom, I’m doing what I love.’ And I said, ‘Exactly. I can’t stop you from living your dreams.’ Ohio State [her alma mater] was my dream for him. That wasn’t his dream. And, he’s living his dream.
“Nothing better than that.”