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The adage "good things come to those who wait" has been the story of Dewayne Whitaker's life. For the 2003 Northwest alumnus, success has never come quickly.

But it's always come.

Now, after being drafted in the first round by the Georgia Stallions of the new United National Gridiron League, Whitaker is again taking the road less traveled. With his professional career slated to begin Feb. 8, the Germantown native is ready to make the most of his first big break, one for which he's waited for over a year.

"It's been a lot of ups, a lot of downs," said Whitaker, 23, a four-year starting cornerback at Hofstra (N.Y.) University before graduating in 2007. "But I'm just thanking God for the opportunities I have. I'm anxious to show if you can play, you can play."

At Northwest, he was "a late bloomer" according to former assistant coach Andrew Fields. He started as a junior and captained the team as a senior, but first began turning heads the following summer at the 2003 Maryland Football Coaches Association East vs. West Senior All-Star Game. In a showcase for the state's top college recruits, Whitaker's star shined brightest in the eyes of many.

"That was the first time me and Mr. [Randy] Trivers mentioned the word ‘pro' with Dewayne," recalled Fields. "A few of the coaches were talking about how every all-star game has a few marquee guys, but who would be the one that might wind up in the NFL, and the name we came away with was Dewayne's. They say Steady Eddie wins the race and that's what he was. He was one of those guys who you didn't see too much at first but just has a steady upward curve from freshman to senior year."

The first real test of his mettle came in his second year at Hofstra, when he blew out the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, forcing him to redshirt the 2004 season. Though he immediately grabbed back his starting job in the Pride's defensive backfield in 2005, Whitaker said he didn't feel 100 percent again until his senior year. At least, mentally.

"My rehab was actually only for six months and I was basically running full speed again, but it wasn't just my knee getting back to what it was," he said. "Even though I wasn't hurting and running just as fast if not faster, me being away from football for a whole year made it hard to get my instincts back. … A lot of guys come back afraid to make that cut, to ever really test their knee out. Once you fully test it and you realize, ‘I'm back,' that's the biggest hurdle."

Whitaker's final career hurdle will be his most difficult, however. After his senior season, 2007, Whitaker earned workouts with several National Football League teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.

He essentially travelled North America seeking a roster spot, earning a three-day workout with the Columbus Destroyers of the now-suspended Arena Football League and another with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League.

He found out that his alma mater — a Division I-AA school, the level below I-A — often made more of an imprint than his performance. But the story of his college roommate, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston, gives him faith that his day will come.

"I was the cover corner, he was the go-to guy," Whitaker said. "I still talk to Marques very week. He was the [fourth] to last pick of the draft and only because of his size. No one gave him a chance. People slept on his ability to play football, and now look at him; one of the best receivers in the game."

Whitaker came back to his roots this past year, serving as Northwest's JV defensive coordinator and working with the varsity defensive backs. But he isn't ready to give up the game on the field.

On the contrary, if you ask him, his career's just getting started. His track record is all the evidence he needs.

"On [the Stallions], there are only like one or two DI-AA guys and the rest are D-I," Whitaker said. "This league is supposed to be an opportunity to get a fair chance. It's not going to be political. So when I get my chance against these guys that are supposed to be better than me because they've played in bowl games, I want to show I'm better. I think I can play for a long time."