It was a journey that began with academic struggles, then injuries, a lacerated kidney that miraculously healed on the way to a trauma center, and to now with his pro football shot with the Arizona Rattlers.

Wide receiver Isaiah Huston, a 2013 Anthem Boulder Creek High School graduate whose football career abruptly stopped three games into his Arizona Christian University season in 2018, recently signed with the Indoor Football League team.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Huston was on the Rattlers roster last spring, impressing coach Kevin Guy during a February open tryout.

“Our open tryout has always been a way for us to evaluate local talent,” Guy said. “It’s a job interview in front of our coaching staff.

“We liked the way he competed. Isaiah has good speed and good hands. Seeing him in person definitely gave him an advantage when it came time for us to make a decision on whether or not we were going to sign him. Getting an opportunity was what he was hoping for, and now he needs to go make the most of it.”

The 2020 year, like for so many people, didn’t work out. The Rattlers’ season ended before its first game because of COVID-19.

Now, he’s got a chance to make 2021 his most memorable year since leaving high school, where he hardly left the field as a receiver, defensive back, return specialist and was an all-state all-purpose player.

“I knew it would be an uphill climb, coming from a small school, to get to the next level,” Huston said. “I got to be part of the XFL draft. I didn’t get drafted. I tagged (Rattlers) Coach (Kevin) Guy a video of me running routes (on social media). He was interested and told me to come to an open tryout.

“I know I need to finish out at the right way.”

It didn’t look like Huston would be playing football again three games into his senior season in 2018 at Arizona Christian, an NAIA college, where he said he was brought closer to God.

He had 44 catches for 681 yards and eight touchdowns over 12 games in two seasons at ACU, before his college career suddenly ended after three games into his senior year.

“I was diving for a ball on a post route in practice,” he said. “I landed on the tip of the ball and lacerated my kidney. At first I went to the ER. The original doctor said they were going to have to remove the kidney and were going to transfer me.

“I’m big on my faith. I was praying a lot. They said they lost the film of the MRI I had. Took another. This time there was no bleeding. I didn’t need to have surgery.”

He spent two weeks in the hospital, always believing he’d be back catching footballs.

He began his road to recovery with a Scottsdale strength coach, Chad Ikei, who has helped high school, college and pro athletes overcome career-threatening injuries.

“I had lost like 20 pounds,” Huston said. “My injury happened the day after I met with the (NFL Detroit) Lions. It was terrible timing. I met Chad at the right time. He got me going.”

Ikei said that immediately Huston embraced the importance of being resilient.

“When he joined out training program, he was extremely out of shape and lost all of his muscle and athleticism due to his recovery from the lacerated kidney,” Ikei said. “However, he had the mindset of a champion and committed to the process of preparing himself to be in the best possible shape for his NFL pro day.

“On his first day of assessment, he was barely running his 40 in under five seconds and his vertical was recorded at 28 inches. But today, if you watch him run and jump, you’ll know he is a phenomenal athlete is ridiculous. I’m proud he’s never given up on chasing his dream.”

Huston said he ended up getting a workout last year with the Lions, but that didn’t lead to a contract.

He posted videos of himself running pass routes, hoping a pro scout, coach or general manager would notice.

He drew from all the adversity he had overcome, from struggling academically that kept him from getting a Division I college football scholarship out of high school, to playing two years at Phoenix College, to getting a preferred walk-on shot at Arizona State.

At ASU, he said, he broke his jaw, and ended up leaving after a semester, losing interest in attending classes. That led him to the small Christian university in north Phoenix.

ACU, he said, helped turn him around.

And even after the scare with his kidney, he didn’t lose his passion.

“I knew I wanted to keep playing,” he said. “I recovered. Trained with Ikei. Had a pro day. Tagged Coach Guy with the video.

“I know what I can do on the football field. I have to see this through before I hang it up.”

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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