Alex Wollschlaeger did not play football his junior year of high school at Oswego East because of a broken collarbone.

He had just one college scholarship offer.

And now?

He will be heading for New Orleans next week, an NFL contract in hand.

The 2020 Oswego East graduate who started at right tackle for Kentucky last season after five years at Bowling Green has signed with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.

Wollschlaeger is the first Oswego East alum to earn an NFL contract in the history of the school.

“I am excited, that’s the big thing,” Wollschlaeger said. “It’s a combination of excitement and nervousness. Not many people make it this far. I didn’t think I’d make it this far. Didn’t play junior year of high school, one offer out of high school, underweight. Didn’t think I’d get this far.”

An improbable story out of high school, yes, but Wollschlaeger was not surprised to get the call from the Saints this week.

He had a Zoom meeting with the Saints the week of the draft, met the offensive line coach and went over film. The Saints also had a scout at Kentucky’s pro day.

“My agent was kind of like, ‘We have a 50/50 shot getting drafted Day 3 or going undrafted,’ but he was confident no matter what happened I would be on a team,” Wollschlaeger said. “Right when the 257th pick [the last pick of the draft] was announced, my phone rang and it was the Saints’ O-line coach. You could tell he was happy.

“He said, ‘Congrats, we’re going to be signing you, can’t wait to get you down here.’ ”

Wollschlaeger in his only season at Kentucky started all 12 games at right tackle. Before that, he was a three-year starter at Bowling Green and two-time All-MAC selection—earning first-team All-MAC honors in 2024.

He knew going into the draft he would not be selected one of the first two days, and at a certain point he preferred the control of going undrafted to being picked in the final round.

“You want to see your name called, but halfway through the seventh round I kind of wanted to go undrafted,” Wollschlaeger said. “There are some pros to going undrafted rather than being picked in the later rounds. You can almost pick your situation; that was the case with me. My agent and I could assess the offensive line rooms, did a team run an offense that we thought I would do good in. It was exciting and kind of nervous.”

Wollschlaeger knew that the Saints liked him, but he did not think he’d end up in New Orleans. He thought he’d end up in Green Bay, where he took a “top-30 visit” for draft-eligible prospects.

“Since it is a business, it can change in a snap of the finger,” he said.

Wollschlaeger now stands 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds, an NFL-caliber frame with plenty of college experience to boot – a striking contrast to the kid at Oswego East.

He recalled cross country and basketball as the two sports he played more going into his freshman year of high school, when he was maybe 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds.

By junior year at Oswego East he was around 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, with hardly a thought at a future in football beyond college. In fact, with a masters degree in business in hand, Wollschlaeger only recently started thinking of pro football as a reality.

“Honestly, I don’t think until I got to UK or even later, my pro day,” he said. “With my beginnings, didn’t come from a lot in the sense of football. Going into college with one offer, I got my scholarship covered and college paid for, that was enough for me.

“Wasn’t until last year at Bowling Green I thought I even had a remote chance. Figured give it a shot, worst thing is they say no. Wasn’t until I was at UK competing against guys you know had a shot at the NFL that I had the realization.”

Wollschlaeger relished his one season of competing at Kentucky. He considered declaring for the draft after his last season at Bowling Green, but with the extra year given college athletes because of COVID opted to go into the portal and landed in Lexington.

“It was awesome, the experience itself, the SEC with all the stadiums and environments and the fans. It’s really cool,” he said. “From a preparation standpoint, I love my coaches at Bowling Green, they helped me get to where I am, but Coach Wolf [former Kentucky offensive line coach Chris Wolford] did a great job for me at UK. The guys you are going against, they are just bigger, stronger and faster. You get used to that speed, size and athleticism.”

Wollschlaeger said the Saints like him as a developmental guy with good effort and football IQ, a lineman good with his feet and hands that needs to get polished to compete for a spot.

He will fly out to New Orleans on May 7 for rookie minicamp, followed by 5-6 weeks before June workouts preceding training camp.

“Make or break time,” Wollschlaeger. “I’ve learned that if you are trying to get to the NFL, this season feels like the longest. You go from college season straight to the combine and pro day, staying in shape until your name is potentially called and then NFL stuff.

“If everything works right, your next break isn’t until the offseason. It’s a long time, but as long as things work that means you are doing good and getting results.”