Raheem Mostert has a love for water like no one else in the NFL! Before the running back of the Miami Dolphins joined Purdue and began his football journey, he spent his time on the waves of New Smyrna Beach in Florida. While he is busy amassing yards for Miami and had his career-high last season, surfing is still his top off-the-field hobby.

And it’s not just idle pass time either, as a teenage Mostert even secured a contract from a surf company. In a recent interview, the Miami star opened up about why he gave up on surfing and ultimately chose a different career path.

Raheem Mostert ‘wanted to graduate’

Growing up in the “shark-bite capital of the world,” the Atlantic Ocean was a mere 15-minute walk from his home. While in high school, Mostert was surfing with his friends when he was approached by a representative of a surf and skate company, as per The Athletic. However, the teenage RB chose to forgo the contract offer and wanted to focus on another pursuit.

In a recent interview with TMZ, the Dolphins player revealed why he never pursued his hobby of surfing and chose to dedicate himself to football. And the reason is as sweet as they come! “I just wanted to be the first to graduate in my family,” Mostert said. “That’s why I went to Purdue, to get a degree.”

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Raheem Mostert was further asked if he considers himself to be the best surfer in the league. To which the running back replied with a smile, “I’m the only surfer right now.” Though the 2023 Pro Bowl has dedicated himself to football, his experience balancing on the surfboard helped him in his career in the league, too.

How surfing helped Mostert in the NFL

Riding the waves may now be an occasional activity for the NFL professional, the last being at teammate Tua Tagovailoa’s charity event. Despite his expertise in the water sport, the Miami player never plans to switch professions and keep surfing as a side passion. “I’ve got to hang that up,” he said. Mostert further added, “I got other endeavors I want to go into. Surfing’s always going to be my background, man.” Despite this, Raheem Mostert carries the lessons from his teenage surfing years with him after all these years.

Initially, having to hop between franchises, the running back cemented his position in 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers. The leading touchdown rusher of last season feels that the presence of mind developed in surfing now helps him navigate through the defenders.

“You’re in a wave and at that moment you want to make a decision whether you want to do a trick — flare up, do a nice trick and land — or just ride the wave out. That’s the same thing with football: there are a lot of different angles. Sometimes, you have to split two defenders. Sometimes, you don’t want to go out of bounds because you can get an extra three or four yards. So you plant a foot and head up field,” said Mostert about his decision-making skills.

Raheem Mostert will stay in Miami through 2025 after signing a contract worth $9.075 million last month. The 31-year-old hopes to live up to the high expectations he set last season and help the Dolphins in their pursuit of the Super Bowl. But can the RB surf the Super Bowl wave with the Dolphins and come up victorious? Share your predictions with us.