Vince Mayle

Vincent Mayle (born June 12, 1991) is a former American football wide receiver.

He formerly played college basketball for Shasta College, and college football for Sierra College and Washington State University.

Vincent Mayle was born June 12, 1991, in Sacramento, California, to Renee Mayle.

He has two older siblings: a sister, Tinea, and a brother, John.

He was raised in a single-parent household in Natomas, California, a suburb of Sacramento.

Tinea Mayle described him as ambitious but quiet, preferring to shock people with his actions and achievements rather than tell them about himself.

Mayle grew up wanting to be a basketball player.

He idolized LeBron James as a child, and earned the nickname "Little LeBron" in the sixth grade for his ability to mimic James' playing style.

When he was 11 years old, Mayle obtained James' autograph at the 2003 ESPY Awards—the first autograph Mayle ever got.

Mayle did not play football until he began attending Inderkum High School.

In the 2008 season (his senior year), Mayle played running back on offense and linebacker on defense.

He scored 15 touchdowns that year.

Mayle later admitted that despite his success on the football field, he almost never watched football on television.

Mayle was not a good student, however, and although he graduated high school in 2009 his grades were so poor that he was not eligible under NCAA rules to play sports at a four-year college or university.

Mayle subsequently enrolled at Shasta College, a community college in Redding, California, where he played college basketball for a year.

But as a 6 ft power forward, Mayle discovered he was too small and his peers too skilled for him to have much of a career playing basketball.

Nevertheless, he averaged 8 points per game.

When his mother suffered an accident in the summer of 2010, Mayle took a year off from school to care for her and worked several jobs to earn income.

During his year off from school, Mayle decided to give up basketball for football, convinced it would get him farther in life.

Deciding he would compete at the highest level possible, he began lifting weights to transform his body from the lean form required for basketball into the much more muscular physique needed for football while he continued to care for his mother.

In the fall of 2011, Mayle returned to school, enrolling at Sierra College, a community college in Rocklin, California.

He took a year off from sports in order to focus on academics, and his grades markedly improved.

In the fall of 2012, his high school football coach convinced him to return to playing football.

Mayle did so, Sierra College head coach Jeff Tisdel put the then-240 lb Mayle at wide receiver (after considering making him a defensive end, linebacker, and tight end).

Mayle had 61 receptions for 984 yd in the 2012 season, second-best in the state.

His 16 touchdowns were the best of all receivers among all junior colleges in California, and he was named Valley Conference offensive Most Valuable Player and All-California Most Valuable Player.

He also won a position on the Valley Conference First Team, All-State First Team, and Football All-American Junior College First Team.

Mayle's focus on football could waver at times, and he too often allowed his athleticism compensate for skill or knowledge about the defense.

Tisdel benched him for a game after Mayle dropped four passes in practice.

The punishment brought his attention back to the field, and he caught four touchdowns in the next game.

Determined to move up to a four-year college, Mayle continued to get good grades and took a heavy 20-credit course load in the spring of 2013 to make him eligible under NCAA rules.

He also worked out heavily in the summer, and practiced passing routes on his high school playing field.

Mayle was considered a three-star recruit (out of four possible stars) by college scouts.

Mayle was recruited by a number of notable four-year collegiate football programs, including Arizona State University, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Texas A&M University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Houston, the University of Miami, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of West Virginia.

Many other schools declined to recruit him, worried that he had only a single year of NCAA eligibility left.

He chose Washington State University (WSU) after head coach Mike Leach and outside receivers assistant coach Dennis Simmons became the only coaches to visit him personally.

At WSU, Mayle played football on a scholarship.

He continued to lift weights seriously and improve his strength and stamina, and hone his receiving skills.

He also lost a considerable amount of weight, dropping to 225 lb from 240 lb. One of his former high school football coaches, Terry Stark, called his physical transformation "incredible".

He also continued his heavy off-season training and practice schedule.