Former Badger Darryl Peterson III may have saved his NFL dream with huge final game

Darryl Peterson III may have just saved his NFL dream. In the final preseason game for the Los Angeles Rams, Peterson did everything he could to prove he deserves to be on the roster. He was well below the cut line, and you can't find his name on any roster projections, so he took matters into his own hands. He was a monster off the defensive line for the Rams with five total tackles and two monster sacks, with the final one being the best for last.

His first sack came in the second quarter when the Los Angeles Chargers thought they could get cute on 4th-and-1. A little bootleg with the quarterback, and yet Peterson was exploding off the edge to drag the quarterback down in the backfield. You can see the replay below:

Which wasn't his first sack of the preseason, but it was an important one early in the game when roster cuts loom on Sunday. Yet, he knew that probably wasn't going to be enough. So he added another one and "called game" at the same time. In the final seconds of the game, with a chance for the Chargers to march the field and take the lead and the win, Peterson put a stop to that.

He got to the quarterback and forced a fumble with a strip sack. That forced fumble sealed the game as the Rams recovered, and his teammates and coaches surrounded him to celebrate. It was a big moment and something that could have saved his NFL career. Watch that clip below:

Darryl Peterson III needed a big final game to prove he belongs on an NFL roster

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It was hard to imagine Peterson making the Rams roster before this game. He hasn't had a bad preseason or Training Camp, but he had a long way to go to prove himself. As a UDFA with a fairly crowded competition, he is nowhere to be found on any 53-man roster projections for the Los Angeles Rams.

That could be changing with this one big game. The Rams will have to seriously take a look and determine if Peterson is a player they need to stash and utilize. There's still a logjam for a roster spot, but clearly the Rams wanted to see what he had and gave him ample opportunity to play.

For Peterson, it's a great finale in a "prove-it" game. Even if the Rams decide they either don't have the room or don't want to keep him, he's proven he can be valuable to an NFL team. So don't be surprised if he gets swooped up by another team or he finds his way onto a practice squad. Now that he's had the preseason he has had, he deserves a shot somewhere.

For the former Badger that seemed a long shot to make an NFL roster after the end of last season, it's great to see him showing out and putting on an NFL show.

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