Brevyn Spann-Ford grew up in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and spent six seasons at the University of Minnesota. After that, he went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but then won a roster spot in camp with the Dallas Cowboys.

"It was very stressful. Obviously, not getting drafted and going through that whole process," Spann-Ford said on a video call from the Cowboys facility this week. "There's a lot of things you could be down on yourself about. But just being able to go through camp and make some plays and be part of a team, it's a dream come true to be in this building."

Now in his second season as a backup tight end, this November, in a win against the Eagles, Spann-Ford caught his first NFL touchdown.

"It felt amazing. The outpouring of support for my family and friends, teammates, coaches. It was a cool moment," said Spann-Ford. "I definitely see myself as someone — I lose sight of smelling the roses a lot. So, it was good to take a moment to recognize how far I've come."

Spann-Ford still holds all the receiving records at St. Cloud Tech High School. He transitioned from wide receiver to tight end entering college. He credits his half-dozen seasons as a Gopher for how he's made it this far.

"I'm always around the facility," he said. Spann-Ford attended the Gophers-Northwestern State win earlier this fall when the Cowboys had extra off days. 

"You could ask any of their coaches, I'm probably the alum that's in there the most. I'm from St. Cloud, so whenever I come home, I'm stopping there, automatically."

It is the Cowboys. The attention is bigger in Texas — even for a depth tight end.

"It's crazy to me because, being from Minnesota, how dramatically different it is," said Spann-Ford. "Obviously, the fandom is everywhere. You got Vikings fans everywhere in Minnesota. But yeah, it does hit a little bit different being a Cowboy."

Spann-Ford is closing on two full seasons on an NFL roster. Once you make it there, it's just as hard to stick.

I would definitely say selflessness," he cited as a reason for his success. "Being able to do several things for the team. Being able to play for one another. Special teams is a huge aspect that has kept me here. And just being physical overall. I feel like my role within the team is definitely an enforcer, someone who's gonna go out there and set the tone. So that's what I think has kept me here."

He's an underdog in the league who has surpassed many players scouted and graded higher, living out what few with the same childhood goal can do.

"This is what I dreamed of doing," Spann-Ford said. "Growing up, I didn't want to be an astronaut. If you ask anyone in my family, I always wanted to be a professional athlete. I didn't know what that was gonna entail. I didn't know what sport that was gonna be, but that's what I wanted to be. So definitely grateful for every step of the journey, whether that was good or bad."

This Sunday, the Minnesota football player faces the Vikings.

"I really have no expectations," Spann-Ford said. "I know I gotta treat it like every other game, but it's just going to be a cool experience playing against the team I cheered for growing up. I have a bunch of family and friends coming, and I look forward to it."