Following joint practice between the Panthers and Browns on Wednesday, Graham thought back to that time, trying to imagine what he’d say to those two high school kids in Cali back in 2021 who wondered how far they’d go.
“You’re crazy,” he laughed. “I mean, we both have the talent and drive and work ethic to get here, but you know, doing that, making that actually happen is pretty crazy.”
Still, “He was nice. He was real good,” TMac said of Graham’s high school athletic ability, emphasizing again, “real good.”
Then, while McMillan was at Arizona, Graham went to Michigan and put together a freshman campaign that included 27 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one pass defended. Even from across the country, McMillan saw the teammate he always knew was talented grow into the game-wrecker he always knew was inside.
“When we got to college, from me since his freshman year, he was nice,” McMillan said.
The duo each played three years at their respective colleges. In that time, Graham finished with 108 tackles from the DT position, three passes defended, and 9.0 sacks. McMillan, with the Wildcats, finished with 209 receptions for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns (averaging 69 rec-1,141 yds-8.6 TD a year).
Suddenly, that distant possibility of both making it to the league together started to feel a lot more realistic.