Packers Shareholder Battling for Roster Spot at Receiver

With the Green Bay Packers needing a receiver, they reached out to Cody Chrest, who spent seven years in college to earn the opportunity of a lifetime.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jul 30, 2023 4:59 PM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – New Green Bay Packers receiver Cody Chrest, a native of Houston, is a shareholder and “Cheesehead at heart.”

Why?

His father, Craig Chrest, was a native of Black River Falls, Wis., and a record-setting receiver at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In 1981, he signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent.

With the Packers in need of a receiver with seventh-round pick Grant DuBose and former practice squad player Jeff Cotton sidelined by injuries at the start of training camp, they hosted a tryout that included several receivers. The Packers found Chrest visiting family in Port Wing, Wis., a community located along Lake Superior.

“It was a dream come true,” Chrest said after a practice at training camp on Wednesday. “I was with all my family and they were all, before I even got signed, almost in tears.”

After the tryout, Chrest waited with the others before learning his fate.

“I had a good day. I felt good about it,” Chrest said. “I was getting a lot of good feedback. I just kind of sat in the players’ lounge, waiting for a little bit. It was a little bit awkward because I was with all the other tryout guys.”

Finally, Chrest got the good news that he was being signed to the 90-man roster.

“My whole family was just about in tears,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for all of us. We’re all shareholders. We’re all die-hard, lifelong Packers fans. So, it couldn’t have been a better spot. I’m just so proud and happy. First day, my grandparents and my mom got to come out [for training camp] and I got to see them on the bike ride over. It was so awesome to have them there.”

For Chrest to reach the NFL required equal parts athleticism and fortitude. Long before running a blistering 4.38 in the 40 at Sam Houston State’s pro day before this year’s draft, Chrest overcame a knee injury that sidelined him for most of three seasons at Harvard.

For 14 months, Chrest said, the injury was misdiagnosed. Finally, after his 40 time went from 4.4 to 4.8, the medical staff realized the injury was more serious than believed.

“I spent over a year rehabbing something that was never going to be better,” Chrest said.

Finally, midway through his sophomore year, Chrest had knee surgery.

“You know, that’s my freshman, sophomore, junior year pretty much gone,” Chrest said.

Cody Chrest (Photo by Tork Mason/USA Today Sports Images)

After catching six passes as a freshman in 2016 and playing in only one game in 2017 and 2018, Chrest needed a big season to keep his football dreams alive. He did just that by catching 45 passes in 2019.

From there, having earned his degree, Chrest transferred to Sam Houston State. With 41 receptions for 463 yards and two touchdowns in 2020, 54 receptions for 704 yards and five touchdowns in 2021 and 36 receptions for 548 yards and two touchdowns in 2022, Chrest gave himself an opportunity in the NFL.

“I’m so grateful for it,” Chrest said. “And all of that is just more validating for me because of my work ethic. Coming in as a free agent, I know things aren’t going to be easy. I know I’m going to have to deal with a lot of adversity, but I faced adversity my entire path to get here and every time I’ve ended up on top. So, I have that faith that I’ll do the same now.”

It wasn’t easy fighting through a knee injury. It wasn’t easy reaching the NFL after spending seven years in college. It’s not easy now, either, as he enters a youth-filled receiver group in which all the combatants for the final roster spots have at least a decent grasp on the playbook by now.

For Chrest, it will be a learn-as-he-goes approach headed into Family Night and the preseason. He’s been getting up as early as 3 a.m. to dive into the playbook.

“You’ve got to sacrifice. You’ve got put in more work than everyone else,” he said. “You’ve got to catch up. Last night, for example, I stayed after rookie meetings. We have meetings all throughout the day (and) we have rookie meetings after. I stayed after rookie meetings and after the coaches’ staff meeting and got more film, went through installs, went through all the playbook that I have to catch up on with our assistant receivers coach.

“And then I go back to the hotel and do the same thing. It’s just a nonstop grind, but those are the sacrifices you have to make if you want to make it at this level.”

It’s hard work but he’s not complaining. Port Wing is a beautiful place but there’s no place more beautiful to Chrest than Lambeau Field.

“I’m so happy to be here,” he said. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”