Colson Yankoff jogged up the hill towards the Washington Commanders' facility after Wednesday's practice. The first person to meet him: general manager Adam Peters.

Peters embraced Yankoff, an undrafted free agent out of UCLA, and gave him some congratulations before the two headed inside. Whatever he said to the tight end was well-earned; after all, it's not every day that you make an NFL roster.

There are a few surprises on every initial 53-man roster, but Yankoff surviving the cut was considered a mild shock by fans and reporters covering the team. The high school quarterback-turned-running back-turned-tight end didn't make the flashy plays in Commanders training camp, but with his special teams ability and occasional flashes on offense, it became clear to the Commanders' coaching staff that he was too valuable to let go.

"It's just an absolute blessing," Yankoff said. "I couldn't be more stoked to be here. It's an awesome group of people from the top down. They did a phenomenal job, and I'm just really stoked to be part of this team."

There are myriad reasons why players don't get drafted, from their health to fit in certain schemes. We may never know exactly why Yankoff was off teams' boards in April, but it may have something to do with there not being much film on him with the Bruins, let alone as a tight end. He started his college career as a quarterback before switching to running back. Even then, though, his action was limited, as he touched the ball just 56 times, including a grand total of nine receptions, during his final two seasons.

Yankoff switched positions again, this time to tight end, before signing with the Commanders after the draft. As it turned out, his willingness to play multiple positions, was exactly what intrigued the Commanders enough to offer him a contract.

"He's a very versatile player," Quinn said. "So, [his] background actually started at quarterback. So, he's played quarterback, he's played running back, he's been a tight end. He's got extensive special teams background. So, when you're talking about a roster spot, when people can add value in different roles, that's a big deal."

Undrafted players like Yankoff are under a significant amount of pressure during training camp. They need to prove to coaches and the front office that they're worth keeping around over more established players with fewer reps. Yankoff's background as a quarterback and running back helped him grasp the system quicker, but there were still things about the position that he needed to learn. He hadn't done much blocking at UCLA, so he and tight ends coach Davis Raih spent time watching run cutups from the University of Iowa to master the technique.

In a time where players need to stand out, Yankoff put together one of the quietest months of training camp, at least to reporters who don't have access to practice film. What the coaches saw, however, was a player who Quinn said had "the propensity to absolutely go for it."

"You feel their intensity, you feel their speed when they play, both on special teams and on offense and defense respectively," Quinn said of Yankoff and safety Tyler Owens, another undrafted free agent who made the roster. "At the end of it, when you're really trying to establish an identity that you've heard me use that word before, I think those examples come back up. The speed, the physicality, the effort, the straining, those are things that are Commander style plays and I thought those two really represented that."

Yankoff was solid in the preseason, recording three catches for 23 yards and three special teams tackles. That wasn't nearly enough for him to feel safe on roster cut day, though, so he decided to detach himself from the situation as much as possible. He stayed away from his phone, played card games with his friends and let the situation unfold.

Eventually Yankoff's phone rang, and it was his agent to let him know that he had made the team. The next thing he did was call his family, who he said were "stoked for me."

"It's been a really cool thing for us," Yankoff said. "It's been a fun journey; a lot of ups and downs and it's just been cool."

And Yankoff isn't done. He knows there are still some nuances to the position that he needs to learn, so he's been spending after practice with Raih to fine tune his techniques with running routes.

Apparently, the work never stops for an undrafted free agent, even one that made the roster.

"I feel like I'm taking in stride and definitely having a blast with it," Yankoff said.