Hot! Dontari Poe Has Lived Through Tough Time To Reach The Nfl And The Kansas City Chiefs

Dontari Poe s life story has been compared to "The Blind Side."

2012 NFL DRAFT

Scout: First round analysis

Scout: Second round analysis

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But that comparison isn't quite accurate.

Poe, the Kansas City Chiefs first round pick and the 11th overall selection in Thursday night s NFL Draft, is from a similar tough part of Memphis, Tenn., as the one Michael Oher grew up in.

But there was no Sandra Bullock character scooping Dontari Poe up on a rainy night, showing him a new life. There were no car rides with a spunky little brother, listening to "Bust a Move."

No, Poe s journey from Bluff City to Radio City was one that required patience, persistence and incredible perseverance.

It required focus and determination.

Poe overcame a troubled childhood in Memphis Whitehaven section, where drugs and gangs were a part of his everyday life, to graduate from Wooddale High School, get the grades needed to play FBS college football and become the first member of his family to attend college.

When he was younger, he watched as his older brother, Robert Jr., was carted off to prison for drugs and guns charges. He saw his mother, Sandra, work multiple jobs to ensure that her youngest son, Dontari, would always be busy with after-school activities and out of trouble.

This is our first trip to New York, Dontari s oldest brother, Pierre, said with a smile earlier this week at the EA Sports draft party. With Dontari and Pierre's brother Robert Jr. in prison and their father no longer part of their lives, Pierre, 29, plays an important role in Dontari's world.

We re just having a blast; enjoying the experience. We re going down to Wall Street tomorrow. That ll be cool. We ve never been. We ve only seen it on TV. Can t wait.

The smiles couldn t be wiped off their faces.

But Poe wasn t smiling the entire week. And he hadn t been smiling much since emerging as the media darling of February s NFL Scouting Combine.

As the weeks went by, though, Poe went from media dreamboat to media punching bag.

NFL DRAFT TEAM ANALYSIS

Arizona Cardinals:Cardinals score with Floyd

Cleveland Browns:

Dallas Cowboys:Cowboys trade up to grab Claiborne Another bold move by Jerry Jones

Detroit Lions:Lions take Reiff with 23rd pick

Green Bay Packers:Perry's explosiveness excites Pack

Kansas City Chiefs:Chiefs aim to tap Poe's potential

Minnesota Vikings:Another trade nets Irish's Smith

St. Louis Rams:Second round crucial for Rams

Tennessee Titans:

Cleveland Browns:

Detroit Lions:

Detroit Lions:

Minnesota Vikings:Kalil was always Vikings' guy

Houston Texans:Mercilus motivated by critics