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Rich Cimini
multiple authors
Florham Park, NJ – For a second, New York Jets first round draft pick kenyon sadik Thought his “Welcome to the NFL” moment was a hoax. Last year’s draft came to his mind and shadure sanders.
The viral moment is from Thursday night when the speedy tight end oregon Selected 16th overall.
“I’m excited, coach,” Saadiq said to coach Aaron Glenn during a phone call from the Jets’ draft room, captured on video by the team and shared on social media. “I was thinking for a second it might have been a prank call.”
“No, we’re not kidding you, brother,” Glenn replied with a laugh. “You’re going to be a Jet. You’ve been a target of ours for some time.”
On Saturday morning, Sadiq arrived at the Jets’ facility for the first time and was asked about the call during a press conference.
“That was my biggest fear because of Shedeur and everything that happened to him,” Sadiq said. “It’s a moment that’s filled with a lot of emotions. Wouldn’t it be fun to get a prank call and things like that. But no, obviously the call and everything was amazing.”
Sadiq immediately knew that the call was genuine.
“I mean, it really happened when I started talking to each individual coach and management and those things,” he said. “Then it really hit me, ‘This is not a prank call, this is the real deal,’ and I was so excited.”
Sanders became a big story during last year’s draft. Projected by some as a first-round pick, he waited until the fifth round before being selected. cleveland browns. They were made fun of during their long wait.
As it turned out, Sanders’ then-21-year-old son, Jacques Ulbricht, had played the prank. atlanta falcons Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. In response to the situation the NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and Ulbricht $100,000. Both men apologized.
The Jets selected Saadiq with the second pick of three in the first round. He played three seasons at Oregon, recording 51 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
