Defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson said his late father “was on my mind today” after the Los Angeles Rams selected him with the final pick of the NFL draft.
Dion Johnson also hoped to become an NFL player and, aged 23, had a tryout with the Chicago Bears in May 2002.
But that night he was hit by a stray bullet while driving in Detroit, which left him paralysed, and he died from associated injuries two years later.
“I feel like my dad is watching over me,” said Johnson, now 23 himself.
“He knows what’s best for me. I’m just going to work hard and let the rest be in God’s hands.
“I feel very blessed to be taken in the draft by the Rams.”
Johnson, who was four years old when his father died, went on to spend five seasons playing college football at Toledo in Ohio before entering this year’s draft.
The Houston Texans were due to have the 259th and final pick but they traded it to the Rams during the fifth round.
Mr Irrelevent plans to ‘prove that I belong’
The last player chosen in the draft is known as ‘Mr Irrelevant’, a nickname coined by former San Francisco 49ers receiver Paul Salata in 1976.
Salata also established ‘Irrelevant Week’, where the latest recipient of the title is invited to a string of events in California to “celebrate football’s underdog” and raise money for charity.
Each year Salata, who died in 2021 aged 94, would announce the last pick. His daughter Melanie Fitch took over in 2014 and again did the honours in Kansas City on Saturday.
Last year’s Mr Irrelevant became the most relevant yet, with Brock Purdy taking over as the 49ers’ starting quarterback in December and leading them to within one win of the Super Bowl.
“It didn’t matter to me where I was drafted,” Johnson added. “I plan on putting my best foot forward and proving to everybody that I belong.”
