Don't ever count out Patrick Worstell.
 
After spending much of his collegiate career moving up the ranks on Cal's depth chart, Worstell once again relished in the role of trying to impress on Friday afternoon when he joined his former Cal football teammates in demonstrating their talents in front of NFL scouts at Cal's Pro Day from Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium.
 
Despite having to compete through consistent rainfall, Worstell said he was pleased with how he performed overall on the day.
 
"It's a good way to end the Cal journey, doing a Pro Day in the pouring rain," he said with a chuckle. "You gotta love it. I think it makes us look good when you do good things out there in those conditions. You want to have a positive mindset. If you make a catch, hopefully they realize you're making that catch in the pouring rain.
 
"You want to feel like you gave it your all, and I do feel like I gave it my all. Hopefully the scouts liked what they saw. Hopefully I surprised some people. That's what I always go for."
 
The numbers also show that Worstell had a good day in his final appearance as a competitor at Memorial Stadium, recording the fastest times of the day in the 60-yard shuttle (11.4) and the three-cone drill (6.67). His 20-yard shuttle (4.28) was second fastest, while his 40-yard dash (4.50) ranked third.
 
Being the underdog is nothing new to Worstell, and it's a situation he actually enjoys. Since he first decided to travel down the path of college football, he's become used to having to prove himself to others.
 
A wide receiver from Danville, Calif., who played lacrosse and football at San Ramon Valley High School, Worstell could have accepted a scholarship to play lacrosse at Syracuse, but instead, he chose to stay close to home and follow his gut instincts and join the Cal football team as a walk-on.
 
Although he played both sports in high school, Worstell always figured he would be a lacrosse player. Having a father who was a four-time All-American contributed to that mindset, but Worstell wanted to get a degree from Cal and he decided to take a risk and change paths to the gridiron. 
 
"There was something about regretting not getting a degree from Cal, and getting to walk out of the north tunnel on gamedays in front of screaming Cal fans," Worstell said. "There's no better feeling. I thought I would challenge myself more if I came here to play football. I would have regretted passing up on this opportunity."
 
The hard work paid off, as prior to the 2016 season Worstell earned a scholarship. 
 
But Worstell said gaining the scholarship was more of the cherry on top as opposed to the end goal. As far as he was concerned, he had already accomplished what he set out to do because just being able to compete on the field as walk-on meant he earned the respect of his teammates and coaches.
 
"Getting that scholarship was unreal," Worstell said. "Up until that, just stepping on the football field was my biggest accomplishment. If you start thinking about getting a scholarship, you'll drive yourself nuts. The first thought [after getting the scholarship] was how grateful I was to my parents for helping me get to this point. But getting on the field, that's like earning your scholarship because it's like you've earned the respect from your team. When you're a walk-on, that's everything to earn that respect. You have to do that first."

Another goal that Worstell accomplished was graduating last December with a degree in American studies with a concentration in military science and business.
 
It's that drive and determination that fueled Worstell to gain respect and a scholarship that he believes will help him as he continues his dream of hopefully seeing his name on an NFL roster.
 
The process and difficulty isn't anything new to him, it's just raised to another level. Playing at Cal helped him tremendously, as well, he said. There were ups and downs during his five years with the program, but good or bad, all the experiences made him a better player and a better person.
 
"I've never doubted myself," he said. "I knew that I could be in the position I am right now, but if you asked me back then how I thought the journey would have went, it's been a wild ride. I'm glad it's been a wild ride because that's allowed me to learn so much about myself. All the ups and downs during my time here has made me a better person and a better player. On the field, I'm happy with what I've done. I've performed to the best of my abilities. I've proven people wrong, which is what I've been doing my entire career."
 
So to all the NFL teams out there, if you're looking for somebody who has an unyielding work ethic, drive and determination, look no further than Patrick Worstell.