I'm a NFL star but lived under a bridge while homeless as a teenager - I used to watch a top WR star who inspired me
Michael Green
Published Aug 26, 2026
THE NFL is full of success stories, and not many are bigger than Azeez Al-Shaair's.
From living under a bridge to playing in NFL games, Azeez Al-Shaair is a shining example of how determination can bring success.
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In high school, Al-Shaair was committed to play football at Florida Atlantic University, but suddenly he stopped answering the school's coaching staff and went on visits to other schools.
It turned out that his father had left the family and Al-Shaair couldn't answer because his family didn't have electricity to charge his phone.
The visits were so his mom and brothers could eat the free food that recruits get on college visits.
“We were just blown away by how much he cared about his family, and we knew there was a leader who was going to take the program to new heights,” FAU defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni told USA Today.
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“He did everything we thought he’d do.”
An injury destroyed Al-Shaair's draft stock, but he was signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019 and instantly made it to the Super Bowl with them.
“My mentality was to believe that no matter the circumstances, I was going to persevere,” Al-Shaair said.
“But you couldn’t write it this way at all.”
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Al-Shaair played four years with the 49ers and appeared in 56 games, while starting in 31 of them.
This year, he signed with the Tennessee Titans where he has been a starter for the entire season.
During Week 10 of this year's NFL season, Al-Shaair got to face off against one of his idols, Mike Evans, and was caught on camera telling him how grateful he was.
"Hey bro I'm from here, born and raised. I grew up homeless in my life," Al-Shaair said.
"I swear to god I've been watching you since I was like a jit."
"I used to stay under a bridge bro."
Evans entered the league while Al-Shaair was still in high school, and passed along kind words to his opponent.
"God bless you bro," Evans said.
"Keep doing your thing bro, on film you nice. You play hard."
