GREEN BAY – J. Michael Sturdivant did everything he could possibly do to pass the 42 hours, 43 minutes between the Packers' preseason finale against Arizona and cutdown day.
Despite his game ball sitting nearby, commemorating his six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown in the 42-38 win over the Cardinals, Sturdivant kept his mind off football while talking with family and playing FIFA with his friends on Saturday.
Once Sunday rolled around, however, it was mostly Sturdivant sitting alone with his thoughts – reflecting on whether he'd done enough to earn a place on the Packers' 53-man roster.
Then his phone lit up. It was a FaceTime from passing game coordinator Jason Vrable and receivers coach Noah Pauley.
"They asked me what I was doing. I'm like, 'Obviously nothing,'" said Sturdivant with a laugh. "Then they broke the news."
He'd done it. After a solid all-around summer, Sturdivant stuck the landing against Arizona and cracked the Packers' initial 53 as an undrafted rookie out of Florida.
In keeping Sturdivant, Green Bay is positioned to extend its 22-year-old streak of carrying at least one undrafted rookie on the Week 1 active roster when the Packers open against Minnesota on Sept. 13.
And by no means was it easy. Sturdivant faced an uphill battle to the 53 given Green Bay's depth at wideout, which included four receivers drafted in the first two rounds, 2025 third-round pick Savion Williams and special-teams standout Bo Melton.
While Williams wound up on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, General Manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters on Tuesday the Packers planned to hold onto Sturdivant regardless after he led Green Bay with nine catches for 142 yards (15.8 yards per catch) and a TD during the preseason.
"The growth he's shown from the day he got here to where he's at now is exponential," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "He does such a great job not only offensively, but I think he started to show himself on special teams. … He's done a really nice job when going in there. He's taken a lot of ownership, and he's been able to execute."
Since the Packers' undrafted streak began in 2005, four rookie receivers have made the team: Jarrett Boykin (2012), Darrius Sheppard (2019), Malik Heath (2023) and now Sturdivant.
Over that time, there have also been former undrafted wideouts such as Allen Lazard, Geronimo Allison and Jake Kumerow who started the year on the practice squad before playing major roles in the Packers' passing game and special teams.
Sturdivant hopes to be the latest success story, and his resume radiates untapped potential. For starters, Sturdivant is the nephew of late Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little, a five-time Pro Bowler who had 8,741 total yards and 52 touchdowns over nine seasons with the Denver Broncos.
Closer to home, Sturdivant's father, Michael, played football at Virginia Tech while his mother, Melodie, is in Bradley University's track and field hall of fame.
Those athletic traits passed down to Sturdivant, who produced a 9.96 Relative Athletic Score during the pre-draft process. He ran a 4.4 time in the 40 at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 39-inch vertical and 10-foot-11 broad jump that tied for fifth among wideouts.
"If you look at his measurables and the kind of athlete he is and the production he had in college, he probably should have been (drafted)," Gutekunst said. "We kind of felt that way coming out of the draft, kind of felt like we got another draft pick there."
The 6-foot-3, 207-pound receiver was a four-star recruit out of Flower Mound, Texas, when he first committed to play at Cal in 2020. He redshirted his first year on campus before earning freshman All-America honors in 2022, leading the Golden Bears with 65 catches for 755 yards and seven touchdowns.
Sturdivant transferred to UCLA the following season before finishing his college career at Florida last fall. The 23-year-old receiver was projected as a Day 3 selection by most draft syndicates despite never topping his sophomore year at Cal.
Scouts lauded his speed, footwork and toughness on routes across the middle. Much to his surprise and disappointment, though, Sturdivant never heard his name called on draft night.
He had several potential suitors as a college free agent, but Green Bay stood out. Sturdivant viewed signing with the Packers – who didn't draft a wideout – as his silver lining.
"It's a good program for receivers," Sturdivant said. "There's a lot of guys who've come through this program and been really successful. It's a place I could see myself succeeding in. At the end of the day, I felt like this was the best opportunity given my circumstances."
Fittingly, the first call Sturdivant made after finding out he'd made the team was to his family. His mom alternated between cheering and crying while his father offered a few words of wisdom while commending his son for the work he put in.
"It was something we've been talking about for a long time," Sturdivant said. "Sometimes it felt like it was out of reach. It felt like some things weren't going the right way. For that to actually happen, it was a great moment that I'm never going to forget. Our family is never gonna forget. It's gonna be something that we're gonna hold onto forever."
Sturdivant's teammates were happy, as well. The first thing he did after getting off the phone with his family was returning a call to Christian Watson, who also FaceTimed him.
Watson congratulated him before jokingly adding what kind of chips he wanted Sturdivant to buy for the receivers room.
"He earned everything he got," said receiver Jayden Reed of Sturdivant. "Since Day 1, he came in and put his head down and worked, he never complained. He learned the playbook really fast. That shows his intelligence for the game. He's done a great job every day."
After last Friday's win over Arizona, Sturdivant did his entire postgame interview while holding the game ball LaFleur awarded him for his performance against the Cardinals.
He told reporters he'd probably sleep with the ball that night and confirmed on Tuesday that it is still in his bed, adding "I'm never gonna get rid of that."
Now, the real work begins as Sturdivant looks to take this opportunity and make an impact.
"It's been a long journey," Sturdivant said. "But this is just the beginning. It's a moment I wanted for me and my family but now is time to go."
