In the bedroom of a one-story brick home in Mount Pleasant, awards and sports photos line just about all the available wall space.

Trophies are lined up on the shelves, representing several different sports.

Scrapbooks filled with ribbons and certificates sit at the foot of the bed.

This room belongs to Ryan Steed, a former Pinewood Prep standout athlete who went on to play college football at Furman University.

Now, Steed has a little more on his plate. He received an invitation to play in this weekend's Senior Bowl, a prestigious event for some of the nation's top college football players. It's more than a game, though, as all of the Senior Bowl players are projected to be drafted into the National Football League.

"It means a lot," Steed said about being asked to play in the Senior Bowl. "It's a priviledge and an honor to even be considered to play in the game. I just want to take advantage of it and not have any regrets.

And I'm going to give it my best shot.

Steed, who has been training at the IMG Academy in Florida for the past five weeks, hopes to shine this weekend, but he's also got something else on his mind: the NFL Combine, scheduled for Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis, Ind. That event is basically an NFL tryout, when scouts can watch as draft prospects showcase their talents.

It's a big opportunity for a Lowcountry athlete who almost didn't play college football.

Steed's mother, Lisa King, says her son grew up with a passion for another sport. Basketball.

"His true love was always basketball," King said. "Football just wasn't Ryan's thing at first."

He first played the game of football as a nine-year-old at the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department, then as an eighth-grader on the Wando 'B' team. After transferring to First Baptist and then Pinewood Prep, Steed played football as a freshman and sophomore, but decided not to play as a junior so he could focus on basketball.

"I saw a talent there," King said of her son's football ability. "I thought, 'This child is gifted. God gave him this talent and he's not using it.'"

It was Pinewood Prep head football coach Pinkey Guerard who convinced Steed to return to the football field for his senior year.

"He took my hand and said, 'If your son sticks with football, in five years you'll see him playing on Sunday,'" King remembers.

So Steed re-joined the team, and a stellar season led to a position at Furman the following year.

After a collegiate career overflowing with accolades, including being named to four All-America teams in 2011, Steed was ready for the next level.

Soon after his final season at Furman, Steed headed to Florida to perfect his skills before the upcoming pre-draft events. He works out Monday through Saturday, with movement drills, football drills and weight sessions.

"Overall it's a pretty long day, but it's teaching me how to be a professional, and what I need to do to be competitive on a professional level," he said.

And despite the fact that Steed, who now has an agent, is projected to sign an NFL contract, his mother says he has stayed grounded.

"He's real humble, and I thank God about that," King said. "And I hope with all of this, that he remains the same."

"Football has taught me a lot about life, and how to be a man," Steed said. "You can't ever give up on something. If you have a dream and you believe in yourself, take a shot."