For most NFL players, securing lucrative college scholarships as a highly touted prospect serves as the traditional stepping stone into the professional ranks. A select group of athletes fails to acquire those early offers and ultimately reaches the league through sheer determination and an unrelenting ability to grind through adversity. Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker YaYa Diaby forged his own grueling path to secure his third-round draft selection in 2023. The Atlanta native recently detailed the massive professional hurdles he faced before breaking into collegiate athletics.

Coming out of North Clayton High School, Diaby went completely unnoticed by collegiate scouts and failed to acquire a single athletic scholarship. He subsequently secured employment at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport working as a wheelchair passenger assistant to generate consistent income. This demanding physical job provided financial stability while he actively sought an opportunity to participate in a football tryout for Georgia Military College. He recently opened up about this exhausting phase of his life during an exclusive interview with NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.

“It was hectic, but it was fun. Had a lot of grumpy people,” Diaby explained to Schultz while reflecting on his time navigating the crowded airport terminals. “I just kept my head down, you know, working out at their facility at the airport.”

He subsequently outlined his daily operational routines and the specific strategies he utilized to secure gratuities from traveling passengers. Diaby outlined what a usual day was like for him at the airport, how he would operate, and whether there were any specific tips involved. 

“I used to be on the B concourse. That was like one of my favorite concourses, cause you have people from everywhere coming, landing on that concourse, and I was always trying to find ways to get to the bag. So I’ll get some tips,” said Daiby before speaking about his best tip.

“It was actually my first ever passenger I pushed; he gave me a hundred dollars, and I thought it was going to be like that every day.” From then it wasn’t as bright, said Diaby. “But then I started getting pennies; I started getting quarters.”

There were multiple bad passenger experiences as well for the then high school graduate with no prospects.

“Some passengers, they’d have connection flight, and they’d have to be at their flight in like thirty minutes. So sometimes I run with them while I’m pushing; I get there, I make it in time, and they wouldn’t tip. And I’d be so I’d be like, damn, I should have took my time.”

This grueling daily grind ultimately pushed the high school graduate to aggressively pursue an alternative career path on the gridiron.

“One of my teammates from high school. He told me, ‘Man, let’s go try out, man. Let’s see. Let’s see if we’ll get picked up.’” said Diaby. “Out of that whole camp. I was the only one who got picked that day.

Having made his way into Georgia Military College, he earned a spot in the team and recorded 77 sacks over two seasons there. A remarkable turnaround for someone who was pushing wheelchair passengers at the airport. 

This successful tryout initiated a massive professional turnaround for the former airport employee. Diaby successfully earned a roster spot at Georgia Military College and recorded a staggering 77 sacks over two dominant seasons. Those spectacular performances earned him a transfer to Louisville, where he played all 13 games for the Cardinals and finished with the second-most tackles for loss and sacks on the entire team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him in 2023, and he is now preparing to enter the final year of his initial rookie contract. The front office must thoroughly evaluate his long-term value to the defensive unit.

Will Bucs extend Diaby beyond his rookie contract?

Diaby currently serves as the undisputed number one choice at strongside linebacker, having firmly secured that starting position over the past three seasons. He led the Buccaneers in sacks during the 2025 campaign with seven, including a crucial takedown on quarterback Bryce Young to secure a narrow 16-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He has accumulated 142 total tackles—including 93 solo tackles—and 19 sacks across 51 consecutive games for Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old remains a highly vital piece of the defensive secondary despite the team’s recent roster additions.

Head coach Todd Bowles recently bolstered the defensive arsenal by signing Alex Anzalone, Josiah Trotter, Christian Rozeboom, Rueben Bain Jr., and Al-Quadin Muhammad. The majority of these new acquisitions will fill other linebacker roles, leaving Muhammad directly listed as the primary backup behind Diaby at the strongside position. The front office acquired Muhammad on a one-year free-agent deal following his strong 11-sack season with the Detroit Lions. The veteran backup presents a unique statistical comparison for the incumbent starter.

Muhammad has recorded 26 sacks across 110 career games, standing just seven sacks ahead of Diaby, who has played less than half that amount of professional matchups. The one-year contract implies Muhammad is not a long-term prospect, placing the pressure squarely on Diaby to continuously improve his pass-rushing metrics. The rising defensive star will undoubtedly channel the frustrations of his early airport struggles as powerful motivation on the field.

The Tampa Bay front office will closely monitor his performance metrics as they negotiate his potential contract extension throughout the 2026 NFL season.