It hasn't been easy for Greg Van Roten to carve his own place in the National Football League.

It never is for undrafted free agents, who don't have the luxury of having draft capital invested into them and have to fight and claw for every opportunity they can get to keep their football dreams going. As a rookie coming out of Pennsylvania, Van Roten managed to be a success story in the first years of his NFL career when he made the Green Bay Packers' roster in 2012 and played in ten games for the team over the next two years. But by 2014, Van Roten had parted ways with the Packers, failed to make the Seattle Seahawks' roster, and spent the year working as an assistant coach at his high school in Mineola, New York while the NFL world carried on without him.

It was after that season that Van Roten got the opportunity that allowed him to get to the point where he is today. In May of 2015, Van Roten signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, and moved north of the border to become one of the best linemen in the league.

"Canada was pretty much the only option at that point," Van Roten told Bryan Strickland of the Panthers. "It ended up being a great decision. I got a lot of film, got a lot of experience, really matured and developed as a player, and it gave me an opportunity to be where I am today."

Playing at both center and guard for the Argonauts, Van Roten was a finalist for the CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman award in both of his seasons. That experience earned him tryouts from NFL teams, and he made the Panthers' roster in 2017 after fielding interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.

Van Roten ended up playing in 10 games last year, primarily on special teams. With the Panthers' offensive line situation unfolding the way it has throughout the leadup to the 2018 season, Van Roten now has a real opportunity to end up being either a starter or one of the Panthers' top reserve lineman. Though he has to fend off promising rookie Brendan Mahon (Another UDFA), Van Roten earned the start at left guard against the Buffalo Bills and will get the same opportunity Friday night against the Miami Dolphins.

For some, having the opportunity to be on an NFL roster as opposed to watching from home and working a normal job might be good enough. But Van Roten is aiming high, and believes others should do the same.

"If your goal is to just be in the NFL, that’s not good enough," said Van Roten. "That’s not going to keep you around. But if your goal is to start, that’s better. If your goal is to be the best at your position, that’s a good goal to have. It’s something I’ll strive for, and we’ll see how it goes."