Just six months ago, Atnaf Harris' NFL dreams were all but gone.

	Hawaii QB Nick Rolovich threw for 3,361 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. He's hoping to be a late-round pick in April's NFL Draft.

A partial qualifier out of high school, the wide receiver sat out one season at Fresno State, then played two before transferring to Cal-State Northridge in search of more playing time. But the transfer became moot when he was told he was one class short of earning his final year of eligibility.

In two seasons for the Bulldogs, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Harris had caught just 24 passes. And just like that his college career was over, and so was his last chance to catch the eye of NFL scouts.

"It left a lot of questions," Harris said. "I didn't give up on the dream, but there's no question I had just made it more difficult. And all I ever wanted was a chance. Just a chance."

Enter David Carr.

The likely No. 1 pick in next month's NFL Draft was fully aware of his former teammate's plight, and Carr wanted to help the kid he played catch with when they were freshmen.

Carr invited Harris to join him for workouts and train for Fresno State's pro day. Promising that when NFL scouts came to town in mid-March, Harris would be among the group catching the rocket passes the scouts were coming to see.

For Harris, this was his chance.

"I can't put into words what it meant to me," he said. "I mean, Dave's going to be the first pick, he knows his life is going to be pretty much set. But he wants to give to his friends and his teammates the opportunity to get the same exposure and reach the same level as he has. It says something about Dave as a person."

The move is not unprecedented. For years, top NFL prospects have gone out of their way to help their friends get a shot. This year, Carr skipped the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in hopes scouts would fly to Fresno to watch him run and thus potentially discover Harris, or maybe Rodney Wright, Paris Gaines or Charles Smith, or Tydus Winans or Malcolm Seabron, Bulldog teammates all.

Hawaii wide receiver Ashley Lelie, a likely first-round pick, wanted to catch passes at his pro day from Nick Rolovich, his college quarterback who, like Harris, has been overlooked by NFL scouts.

"I don't see it as going out of my way to help Nick or anything like that," Lelie said. "Anybody would do the same thing for me. I know I don't have to do it. But why wouldn't I? He's a friend. And you help friends."

Most of these borderline NFL players likely will go undrafted and sign on somewhere as free agents. If they manage to stick on an NFL roster, they likely will be relegated to a few years of special teams and then be released.

That's about as much as Harris and Rolovich can hope for, according to ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.

"They'll get a look, but they're marginal prospects at best," Kiper said. "They'll be undrafted free agents who will have a tough time making an NFL roster. Rolovich is a No. 3 QB at best, while Harris is very raw."

But they should get a chance, and that's all any player can ask for. Because every once in a while, obscure players who floated under the NFL radar manage to become superstars.

Take the case of Dwight Clark, the Cleveland Browns' director of football operations. Despite catching only 10 passes his senior year at Clemson, Clark used the NFL workout of All-America quarterback and best friend Steve Fuller to showcase his abilities and become a 10th round selection in the 1979 draft.

The San Francisco 49ers were in the market for a quarterback that year (they would end up drafting Joe Montana), and general manager Bill Walsh flew to South Carolina to watch Fuller work out. As the workout progressed, he became more and more interested in Clark.

"I wanted a big man who could work against the linebackers, and Dwight was just that," Walsh said. "He had excellent speed. Great hands. And a dynamic personality. I was really impressed.

"I remember leaving Clemson and thinking to myself Steve is a good candidate, but Dwight is going to be a 49er."

Fuller, who was drafted in the first round by the Kansas City Chiefs, begged the Chiefs to later draft Clark, but they had him pegged as a potential free agent. Walsh, meanwhile, had him on the 49ers draft board and had to be held back from drafting him earlier than the first pick of the 10th round.

"People kept telling me to wait, not to take him, not to take him," Walsh said. "Finally, I stood up and said, 'If we don't draft this guy, I'm going to be deeply concerned about everybody in this room.' "

The pick was pure genius, as Clark went on to become an integral part of the 49ers dynasty, retiring after the 1987 season with 506 receptions and two Super Bowl rings.

Stories like that give longshots like Rolovich and Harris all the motivation they need.

"That's what I hope I can make happen for me," Harris said. "I've already told myself, I don't just want to make it to the NFL, I want to start. I want to be a contributor. If it's happened before, it can happen again."

Walsh agrees. He points to safety Jeff Fuller and defensive tackle Michael Carter -- key 49ers contributors who weren't perceived as great NFL prospects -- as examples of players turning into stars with little pre-draft hype.

	“	There are any number of guys that for one reason or another aren't rated very highly or at all. Maybe they had injuries, or in college played a different style of football or just weren't given the opportunity. It's not a perfect science. People fall through the cracks. ”
		— Bill Walsh

"I think it's still possible -- quite possible," Walsh said. "There are any number of guys that for one reason or another aren't rated very highly or at all. Maybe they had injuries, or in college played a different style of football or just weren't given the opportunity. It's not a perfect science. People fall through the cracks."

And maybe this year, it will be Harris. He was impressive during Fresno State's pro day and Carr's personal workout and is starting to create a buzz for himself.

Harris' 4.42-second 40-yard dash, 43½-inch vertical and 10-foot-11 standing broad jump have elevated him from free-agent longshot to possible late-round draft pick.

"One scout told me that it was probably one of the top three overall workouts he had seen this year," Harris said. "So there's a buzz there now. Teams are calling, asking questions, wanting to schedule workouts. There's definitely some interest."

And without the slightest hesitation, Harris knows to give credit where credit is due.

"David Carr," he said. "Seventy-five, maybe 80-percent of what's happening I owe to him. Being around him and working with him made my confidence skyrocket. Knowing that he believed in me has helped me believe in myself. And now I've been given this chance."

And that's all he ever wanted.

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Wayne.Drehs@ESPN.com.