CINCINNATI — When Dohnte Meyers takes the field for his NFL debut in the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason opener, years of rejection letters, practice squads, overnight shifts, workouts with no target and tryouts with no promises won’t matter anymore.All Meyers ever wanted was an opportunity. He put his life on hold fighting fairy-tale odds to land one.“For me,” the 26-year-old rookie wide receiver said, “I was just chasing a dream.”The dream becomes a reality Thursday night. Since signing from the CFL on Jan. 8, Meyers has been the talk of camp for everyone, including head coach Zac Taylor, offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher and star receiver Ja’Marr Chase.He’s repeatedly made plays, earned respect and forged an improbable path to making the roster.“He’s got real juice,” Pitcher said.And an unparalleled underdog story.In a league of NIL millionaires, national champions and genetic wonders, the 5-foot-11, 186-pound Meyers does not fit the template.A zero-star recruit out of Norcross High near Atlanta who earned only a few Division III offers, Meyers landed at FCS school Presbyterian College in South Carolina, playing on an academic scholarship.“I got to Presbyterian because I was smart and I returned kicks,” he said.After one season canceled by the pandemic and two productive years as a receiver at Division II Delta State in Mississippi, Meyers went undrafted, was unsigned as a free agent and only managed one unsuccessful rookie camp tryout with his hometown Atlanta Falcons.He found himself at a crossroads, and the phone wasn’t ringing.Not only did he refuse to find a normal job and give up on football, he doubled down.“After the Falcons minicamp, I told myself, I’m going to do every tryout, every opportunity, and let the chips fall where they may,” Meyers said.Except, for nearly all of 2023, his only opportunities involved working out and driving for DoorDash.Meyers’ days involved a morning workout with trainer Manny Rodriguez, an afternoon session with receiving coach Stephon Brown and hours of specialized recovery. Then, the real work began.“All night I would delivery drive, until like 2 or 3 in the morning,” Meyers said. “Then go wake up and train again at 8 or 9. I structured my whole life around pursuing a dream.”Meyers admits his parents, Dwayne and Tracey, provided the motivation and means to go through with the plan, no matter how long the odds felt.“They kind of just allowed me to be in a position to where I could chase my dream. I didn’t have other extenuating circumstances that forced me to pivot on a crossroad,” he said. “They were like, ‘You chase your dream. You’re young. Do it.’ My parents are big believers in chasing dreams. This is what you want to do? Act on it.”Division II football is better than many people realize, and in two seasons Meyers racked up 120 receptions, 1,542 yards and 13 touchdowns. But a resume that included one year as an All-Gulf South Conference performer didn’t exactly offer a track record commensurate with pro football success.Meyers felt differently, though.“I always knew I could play football,” he said. “I feel like I needed an opportunity. I felt like I was a late bloomer.”Then an opportunity came, sort of.Rodriguez reached out to Trevor Harris, a veteran Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback, and put Meyers’ name on his radar. The CFL team was holding an open tryout. It cost $100 to participate.Meyers hopped a flight across the border, put the money down and took his shot.He landed a futures contract. It provided no guarantees, minimal money and the No. 74.“Seventies are eligible numbers in the CFL,” Harris said. “When he first came in, Dohnte was wearing 74. He was like, ‘Trev, I can’t be wearing this ugly number, man.’ I said, ‘You got to go make some plays and they will get you a new number.’ Next day, they put him in 88.”Harris, an Ohio product out of Marion Pleasant High, dabbled in the NFL himself, with cups of coffee and tryouts. He spent two years in the UFL before starting a 14-year career in Canada playing for five teams.He knew immediately that the Roughriders mined a gem in Meyers, gawking at his acceleration and separation. His intelligence, dedication to asking questions and mentality forged through his journey won Harris over, though.“Guys from Division II that grind through the muck, they are tougher than a $2 steak, mentally and physically,” Harris said. “He ended up catching a touchdown and broke his wrist in his first preseason game and played through the game.”Dohnte Meyers helped the Saskatchewan Roughriders beat the Montreal Alouettes in the 2025 Grey Cup. (John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)When Meyers was finally healthy in that 2024 season, he was placed on the practice squad until finally being promoted to the roster in Week 10. Once the 2025 season arrived, the late bloomer bloomed.Meyers racked up 1,056 yards on 65 receptions with eight touchdowns and four 100-yard games as Saskatchewan won the Grey Cup.“Not only did he have that explosiveness in his route running, he was just a tremendous guy, he was learning every day, staying after practice,” said Harris, the Grey Cup MVP that season. “He is constantly in my ear asking how can I do this route, shave this route better. He’s really good about finding voids in zones and (slowing) his body down. He’s kind of the full package.”