It's certainly never too late to realize your dreams.

That adage was true for 23-year-old Nathan Patterson, who recently signed a deal with the Oakland Athletics. Patterson earned the contract after he participated in -- and crushed -- a speed pitch challenge at a Colorado Rockies game.

As you can see in the video, Patterson hit 96 on the radar gun twice and hit 95 as well. 

Just two weeks after this video of Patterson throwing hear surfaced on social media, the right-handed pitcher has signed a contract with the A's. In a post on his Instagram account, Patterson admitted that he was thankful to get to this point, but his story "is not over."

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“How can you not be romantic about baseball” -Billy Beane Words cannot describe this feeling and I cannot thank everyone enough who has been part of this journey so far! My family has given me nothing but constant love and support throughout the last 9 months as I pursue a dream of mine that I’ve had since I was a little kid. It’s been a roller coaster to get here with many challenges and overcoming adversity. I’m grateful for all the trainers, coaches, friends, @rsrbaseball and everyone else who has supported me thus far! And for those who tell you that you can’t achieve your dreams, use that as fuel to work even harder. Because those people are the ones that settle. I’m grateful for the @athletics organization for giving me this opportunity! This story is not over. It is not the beginning. I am writing the next chapters and excited for this journey! Time to focus even more, work even harder, and it all starts with your mindset. Go after your dreams and make them a reality!

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As impressive as this showing was, it wasn't the first time that Patterson has tried his luck on the radar gun at a baseball game.

Last August, Patterson was at a Nashville Sounds (Triple-A) game and threw 96 in a speed test booth just like he did in Colorado. Patterson had played baseball in high school, but hadn't thrown in a few years.

Patterson began training shortly after his August showing, but was hit by a car and suffered a wrist injury. Following the recovery of that injury, he joined a recreational league and and kept pitching.

This is certainly one of the more wild ways that an athlete has earned a professional contract. It also proves that anything is possible if you keep plugging away and working on perfecting your craft.