The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Without parents, draft day was bittersweet for Senat
FLOWERY BRANCH — Draft day was bittersweet for Deadrin Senat.
The South Florida defensive tackle was selected in the third round, 90th overall, by the Falcons on Friday in the NFL draft. But he had mixed emotions.
“It hurts,” Senat said. “I see everybody else with their mom and their dad and I don’t have my dad to talk to me. I’m real secretive. I don’t put nobody in my business, but family means everything to me. I just don’t let anybody in and call them family.”
Both of Senat’s parents are deceased.
His mother, Judy, who had diabetes, passed away after complications from a spider bite after she walked home two miles from her job at Popeyes.
“She just collapsed,” Senat said.
His father, Guy, passed away from lung cancer in hospice.
“I was 20 when my dad passed” Senat said. “I went down (to Immokalee, Florida) mid-week and his last words were to move my sister and her kids up to Tampa with me. I told him I didn’t know if I would be able to do it. He said just do it, so I can stay close to my sister. He told me he was giving up. He told me don’t miss a game.”
Senat has been trying to carry on ever since.
“That week we played Syracuse and I had one of the best games of my career because my dad died that day,” Senat said. “The best thing was that my dad gave his life to Christ and that meant everything to me. I had my pastor come in and talk to him and he gave his life to Christ. I know he’s in a better place. I know my mom is in a better place.”
Senat was elated to get the call from the Falcons.
“I’m just so happy for what I have going on right now,” Senat said. “I can’t take (anything) for granted. It’s just a blessing to be a part of the Falcons.”
Senat also got a call from former South Florida linebackers coach Stephen Nicholas, who was the last Golden Bull drafted by the Falcons.
“That’s the first person that called me,” Senat said. “I told him that I went on a visit to see (the Falcons). He was just so happy for me. Now, he’s with the Bucs and he was just telling me congratulations.”
Nicholas, who played for the Falcons from 200713, also gave Senat some sound advice.
“He was telling me to be smart today,” Senat said. “I told him that I wasn’t going to do much. I was just going to hang out with my family and my close friends.”