5. Waves of success
Mostert lettered in football and track and field at New Smyrna Beach High School in Florida, also known as the Shark Attack Capital of the World. Despite the obvious dangers, Mostert discovered a love for surfing and the escape it provided.
"The ocean is a metaphor for life," he said. "Sometimes it's calm and all of a sudden, there's a hurricane. Hurricanes bring on waves. Being in the ocean, being in the waves, I excluded everything around me."
"Being on the surf, knowing that no matter what you got, your possessions or anything like that, your troubles, they all go away."
At 14 years old, Mostert was offered a contract to surf for Billabong, but he turned the opportunity down to pursue his goal of playing college football. At Purdue, he did more than just play football. He won a Big Ten title in four different track and field events, and became the first member of his family to graduate college.
Throughout his career in the NFL, Mostert's beach-bum background has remained close to his heart. On the field, he shows off his signature surf celebration after scoring touchdowns. Off the field, he and his wife Devon founded the Raheem Mostert Waves of Success Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed at providing youth with resources and mentorship needed to successfully achieve their dreams.