Former University of Miami tight end Jimmy Graham is expected to taken early in the NFL draft despite only playing one season of college football with the Hurricanes.

``To say that Jimmy Graham is not only an exceptional student-athlete, but also an inspiration to those who face adversity would be an understatement. Due to his family circumstances, Jimmy raised himself from the age of 11. . . . Jimmy has gone from rebellious teen and straight-F student to college graduate.''

Graham's story is compelling : a father he never knew, a mother, he said, who left him on his own much of the time and put him in a North Carolina group home for children before he was a teenager. And a stepfather who didn't want much to do with him.

``The woman dropped me off at a group home right after my sixth-grade year,'' he said. ``I fell asleep in the car and woke up and I remember sitting at a table and seeing her sign me away. That's something you don't forget.''

Graham eventually met Becky Vinson, a church bible-study volunteer who became his mentor and legal guardian when he was 15. He moved into a small trailer with Vinson and her young daughter, and together they went without heat for two winters because of financial struggles. Graham's bedroom was so tiny that he could lie on the floor and touch all four walls.

The money was scarce, but the emotional support from his new family was plentiful. Graham's anger subsided and his grades improved.

``It's different when you're living through something and then you come out of it and realize, `Holy cow! We went through a lot,' '' said Vinson, who had no idea Shalala would single out Graham during graduation. ``I cried from beginning to end. Every parent is so proud of their child, but what are the odds that someone goes through what he did and not only gets by, but excels? He's phenomenal."