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Since they were kids, every prospect who was drafted this weekend into the NFL has dreamed of that very moment – hearing their name called by a professional football team.
While fans are ecstatic to get new talent on their teams, some of those are expected to make an immediate impact in 2025. The raw emotion for the players, as well as their loved ones, is what makes the NFL Draft truly a special time in sports.
All seven rounds of the draft came to an end on Saturday, and there were tons of emotional rookies who couldn’t contain how they felt after hearing their names called.
So, grab a box or two of tissues as we dive into the best of those moments, which are all reminders of how much this game means to every single player taken over the last three days.
CAM WARD’S JOURNEY TO NO. 1
Coming out of high school, Ward didn’t have a single offer from an FBS school. He had to start his college journey at the University of the Incarnate Word, working diligently to get the opportunity to play at Washington State, and then transferring again to Miami this past season.
So, although it was presumptive that Ward would go first overall to the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night, the official pick had the Hurricanes product all emotional during his interview on the Green Bay stage.
“I just thank God, man,” Ward said, fighting through tears. “The hard work that I put myself through and just the unbelievable work ethic that I have. I just always have faith.”
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When asked by ESPN’s Molly McGrath about the emotion she heard in his voice, Ward responded why that was the case.
“I’d just say the little kid in me who wanted it,” he replied.
WILL CAMPBELL WOULD ‘DIE’ FOR PATRIOTS
The fourth overall pick in the draft was LSU star offensive tackle Will Campbell, who will hopefully be Drake Maye’s blindside protector for as long as they are New England Patriots teammates.
Campbell came out onto the draft stage with a bright smile and his Patriots hat on before giving some words about his feelings after hearing his name called. When asked what was behind his smile, he said, “It’s all the hard work,” but he cut himself off, because he felt the emotion coming to his face.
The crowd gave him a loud cheer as he worked to get his emotions in check.
“I worked my entire life to be up here to be able to get my name called by a franchise like New England. It means everything to me,” Campbell continued.
If that first cheer wasn’t loud enough, Campbell had everyone, not just Patriots fans, loving his answer when asked what New England can expect from him right away.
“I’m going to fight and die to protect them with everything I got,” he responded.
KELVIN BANKS JR. SHARES SPECIAL MOMENT WITH MOM
If you knew the story about Kelvin and Monica Banks, you’d understand why the former couldn’t stop crying at home, surrounded by friends and family, when he embraced his mother after the New Orleans Saints took him ninth overall.
Monica Banks has battled health issues since her son’s freshman year at Texas, and it got to the point where she was placed in hospice care. But when doctors removed her gallbladder, her health began to see a positive trend back to normal.
So, the celebration was more than just Kelvin Banks heading to the NFL, and it clearly showed as he had to put the Saints hat over his face even after their embrace because of how much he was crying.
MALAKI STARKS’ 22-SECOND HUG WITH COMMISSIONER GOODELL
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell loves greeting each rookie when they get their name called on night one, and sometimes those celebrations turn into him being lifted off the ground.
Starks did that when the Baltimore Ravens called him late on Thursday night, but the embrace never stopped. Starks was clearly getting emotional, and Goodell was talking him through it.
MAXWELL HAIRSTON = GOOD TEAMMATE
The Buffalo Bills called the Kentucky cornerback with the 30th overall pick to join their ranks, ending a three-hour-long wait to hear his name called in Round 1.
But what Hairston did before hearing his name called went viral on social media – he congratulated every single prospect taken before him in the NFL Draft green room.
When it was finally his time to shine, he couldn’t hold back tears when he hugged his father. As Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz put it, Hairston is a “special person,” and the city of Buffalo is sure to see that.
MIKE GREEN’S WATERWORKS
The Marshall product was one of the most raw in terms of emotions on Friday night, as day two of the draft began. In the second round, the Ravens called his name, and every broadcast showed a joyous family and a crying Green in a living room – a scene we’ve seen many times in the NFL Draft.
The Herd shared the words that Ravens GM Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh said to him in that emotional time.
Controversy swirled around Green after two separate sexual assault allegations reportedly had teams taking him off their boards. The Ravens explained their choice of Green during a press conference, saying that thorough investigations had been done and that they were confident in the person they had drafted.
CAM SKATTEBO CAN’T BELIEVE IT
On Day 3, there were still some impact players left on the draft board. In fact, many will argue that Rounds 4-7 are where teams truly win the draft as they find value in their selections.
The New York Giants went with Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo with their fourth-round selection, nabbing the fan favorite whose confidence beams with every touch of the football.
When broadcasts cut to his family home, where they learned the news, Skattebo kept shaking his head up and down as he couldn’t fathom wearing the Giants hat on his head. Again, the dream realized is a powerful thing.
And Skattebo knew just how to endear himself to the Giants’ fan base, as he broke out his Michael Strahan No. 92 jersey for all to see.
BENJAMIN MORRISON’S EMOTIONAL PROMISE TO BUCS
To wrap it up, perhaps the best draft day call was for Morrison in the second round, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought the Notre Dame cornerback into the fold.
Head coach Todd Bowles played with his father, Daryl, so the connection is already there. But the Bucs were not expecting to hear Morrison so emotional when he got on the phone.
“Thank you for believing in me,” Morrison said with tears running down his face.
“Man, I’m not going to let you down. I promise you, man,” Morrison said to Coach Bowles. “Thank you so much.”
If you’re ever wondering how much being drafted means, no matter the sport, just look at Morrison on this phone call, which he will never forget.
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