Overlooked and underestimated, Weddington grad, mom used doubt as fuel

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CHARLOTTE — Former Weddington defensive back Malik Mustapha used what could have been viewed as rejection and instead, used it as fuel.

His mother Dee Myles made sure of it.

“I consider myself a coach, a mother, mentor, coach, psychiatrist, psychologist, nutritionist -- all of those things,” Myles said.

Along his football journey, the two recalled feedback from critics who believed Mustapha was too small, if not the right “fit” for a Division I program.

At Wake Forest last season, the safety led the team in solo tackles and now is preparing for the NFL Draft.

>> In the video at the top of the page, Channel 9′s DaShawn Brown sits down with Malik Mustapha’s mother to talk about her son’s journey in football.

(WATCH BELOW: Building the Roster: Derrick Brown)

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