USA TODAY International Edition
Made in Italy: One hopeful’s unique path to NFL
INDIANAPOLIS – Habakkuk, one of the 12 minor prophets from the Old Testament of the Bible, is notable for questioning God.
Habakkuk Baldonado gained acclaim for other reasons: excelling on the football field after being born and raised in Italy.
His name, too. Baldonado’s father was gifted a Bible by his brother and enjoyed the Book of Habakkuk, which describes a journey from doubt to faith.
“I guess he wanted me to be the guy that questions everything,” Baldonado said, “and then try to become great.”
A significant step in that process occurred Thursday at the NFL scouting combine, where Baldonado competed in drills with his fellow edge rushers.
“All my career I’ve been called raw,” Baldonado said. “People have been doubting me and my abilities to play. Every time, we proved them wrong. We showed them what I’m able to do. I did that in high school; I did that in college. I’ll do that ( Thursday).” Between the East- West Shrine Bowl and this week in Indianapolis, Baldonado said he has met with nearly every NFL team. He’s met on multiple occasions already with the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets. “Hopefully I make a good impression on everybody,” he said.
Baldonado found football randomly. He was watching television and a game came on – he can’t remember who was playing, but it was probably a college contest. He quickly learned that it was American football.
“It looked fun,” Baldonado said. He discovered YouTube highlights of Ray Lewis and Richard Sherman, he said, along with a “Here Comes The
Boom” mixtape. The college game captivated him, and he liked it more than the NFL from his vantage point as a burgeoning fan. He and his mom researched local teams and he joined one.
“There’s nothing like it,” Baldonado said. “The physicality, the teamwork, the daily grind and the mental part.”
Violence attracted him to football, as well as mixed martial arts. Shortly after his standout performance the week of the East- West Shrine Bowl – New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick took notice – he stayed in Las Vegas to train at the UFC Performance Center.
Inside the octagon, Baldonado said, you’re all alone. On the football field, there are 10 individuals on your side.
“I love creating bonds with my teammates,” said Baldonado, who played one season at Clearwater Academy International in Florida before heading to Pittsburgh. “They’re like my family now. They took me in.”
Baldonado, 23, played three years of
American football in Rome before traveling to the United States. In his lone season of ball stateside, Baldonado had 30 1⁄ sacks and forced nine fumbles. He
2 redshirted in 2018 at Pittsburgh and held a reserve role the next year. In 2020, an injury held him to four games during the COVID- 19 season.
Baldonado rebounded with a second- team All- Atlantic Coast Conference campaign in 2021 and started all nine games he played in last season while battling injuries. The resume was enough to earn a Shrine Bowl invite, where he said some coaches told him they were surprised by his play.
But he did not shock himself one bit. “This is what I’ve been doing for the past five years,” Baldonado said.
“I got all my people from Italy and ( beyond) just wishing me good luck. My phone is blowing up with all the love and energy that they transferred to me. I got the whole country on my back. I got to show what Italians can do.”