Suffolk has been proud to be the home of many professional athletes, and it learned this week it would be sending another native son to the pros.

Davon Grayson signed with the New York Giants following last week’s NFL draft. The seven rounds came and went without his name being called, but he was undaunted. As a high-priority free agent, he was free to choose his own destiny, and he decided that destiny would take him to New York.

Grayson had worked hard during his career at King’s Fork High School and as a member of the East Carolina University Pirates. He put in the work to show the professional scouts what he could do. He attended training camps, competed in the NFL Players Association game, participated in the NFL combine and represented at ECU’s Pro Day. He met with numerous NFL teams and worked out for some of them.

In the end, his history of bad luck with injuries likely was too much for teams to overcome. He has suffered from knee and back injuries that ended a couple of his seasons early.

But that hasn’t stopped his hard work. Now that he has signed with the Giants, he will have to perform well in the preseason to make the final 53-man roster.

Grayson’s accomplishment has been extraordinary, but he’s not the only one to go on to the pros from Suffolk. Recently and notably, his former King’s Fork teammate, Chuck Clark, was drafted last year and has seen good playing time with the Baltimore Ravens. And Sugar Rodgers, also from King’s Fork, has been a standout for the New York Liberty in women’s basketball.

We congratulate Grayson and continue to expect great things from him and all of the present and future pro players from Suffolk. If you’re a fan of sports, tune in and cheer for our Suffolk folks, no matter what team they play for.