EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Amani Toomer was a highly touted football recruit out of De La Salle High School in Concord, CA, having been selected as a Parade Magazine All American and a USA Today All-USA player, yet his journey to greatness had just begun.

“I was the No. 1 recruit in the country out of high school, with a number of opportunities to play at top universities, but I knew I wanted to go to the best academic school with the best football program, and that led me to Michigan,” Toomer told attendees of the Sept. 16 EPC Tailgate, here, sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission, Shuman Farms and Oppy.

Toomer said college football was a difficult adjustment at first. “No longer did I dominate; I met my match and had to keep striving to improve in order to stand out to the coaches,” he said.

In fact, it was not until his junior year in 1994 that he was finally able to break through, emerging as the team’s leading wide receiver with 54 receptions and 1,096 yards. He put together another strong season during his senior year despite routinely drawing double-teams, and was now poised for a successful career in the National Football League.

“I had an outstanding NFL combine, but it was a big mental blow when the draft came and I wasn’t selected until the second round,” said Toomer. “Still, I was excited to be drafted by the Giants and was ready to contribute to the team’s success.”

But the NFL presented its own more challenging adjustment process, as Toomer discovered. He was used sparingly during his first couple of seasons in New York, primarily as a punt and kickoff returner.

Toomer said he eventually approached Head Coach Jim Fassel to inquire why he was not getting more time on the field. He said Fassel responded frankly: “You don’t know the plays, your technique is bad and you’re out of shape.”

“It was then that I really learned that long-term success does not come from potential, it comes from hard work and performance,” he said.

Toomer spent the next offseason working hard to learn the playbook. He also took up jiu-jitsu to get better separation off the line of scrimmage, and ran four miles a day to improve his conditioning.

He then went on to be one of the most productive wide receivers in New York Giants history, capturing 16 franchise records, including most career receptions (668), most career receiving yards (9,497) and most career receiving touchdowns (54), while leading the team with six receptions for 84 yards in the Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots in 2007. He was part of the initial group selected into the New York Giants Ring of Honor in 2010.

Toomer shared that his experience is relatable in the business world, and he urged EPC members to keep working hard for the good of their own team.

“As I learned early on, talent isn’t always the key factor for success — it is grit,” he said. “Successful teams are built on a shared mission — not individual accomplishments.”

Top photo: Tailgate sponsors, EPC officials and Amani Toomer gathered for a group photo overlooking the MetLife Stadium field.