You never know when life is going to offer you a new opportunity.

Clearwater high school graduate Garrison Bryant is glad he took a chance on an unexpected big break he got in June.

Bryant was set to accept a full scholarship to play football at the University of New Mexico when life threw him a curveball.

After leading the Tornadoes to their first playoff appearance in a dozen years, Bryant had his bags pack to head to the Southwest when the New York Mets drafted him in the 36th round of last year's Major League Baseball first-year player draft.

“I didn’t really expect to be drafted, and it was kind of all of a shock,” Bryant said.  “In the last three weeks of my high school career, I went from a commit for football to a Major League Baseball draftee.  It all happened so fast, and it’s still surreal.”

Bryant was chosen with the 1,090th overall pick after pitching 70.1 innings with 80 strikeouts and a 2.49 earned run average his senior season at Clearwater.

But he wasn't on the professional radar until a Mets scout who was watching East Lake pitcher Christian James also took note of Bryant when East Lake played Clearwater in the final game of the 2016 regular season.

The Mets selected James in the 14th round and took Bryant 22 rounds later.

Bryant signed a contract with the Mets a month later and informed the University of New Mexico that he'd decided to play professional baseball and give up his full scholarship.

Two days after that, Bryant was in Port St. Lucie playing catch with current Mets big leaguer Lucas Duda.

“You’re playing with guys who’ve been drafted and played in a system for 6, 7, 8 years,” Bryant said.  “And you’re playing next to guys that make 20, 30 million dollars.  It’s crazy to see who I was with.”

Bryant, who threw in the low 90s pitching in seven games with the Mets Gulf Coast League affiliate last season, did everything he could to soak up knowledge from big leaguers who came down to the Mets facilities in Port St. Lucie to undergo injury rehab.

He even shared a locker space with two-time All-Star Yoenis Cespedes.

All of these experiences helped Bryant carry himself as a profession.

This season, his goal is to become a starter and to continue his maturation as a player and a man.

“A lot of people questioned my decision because I did have the football scholarship,” Bryant said.  “I had the baseball scholarship (offered by the University of North Florida).  But it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

Bryant has a backup plan in place if baseball doesn't work out for him.

His contract with the Mets comes with an agreement that the team will pay for his college education if he chooses to go back to school.

If he does, Bryant could still play football.

But the six-foot-four pitcher is planning on sticking with baseball and moving up through the minors with the Mets.

Bryant will report to extended spring training in late March in Port St. Lucie, where he could join forces with another quarterback turned Mets minor leaguer, Tim Tebow.

The two young men actually met over Super Bowl weekend.

Bryant, a New Hampshire native who moved to Florida during his high school years, traveled to Houston to be in town for the big game.

Bryant and Tebow's conversation was all about football during that first meeting.

They're saving the baseball chatter for the Mets dugout.