Thomas Graham turned off the NFL draft broadcast after Round 5, disgusted, and walked into the back room of the Newport Beach, Calif., house he’d rented to celebrate what he thought would be a joyous day.
The former Oregon cornerback — whom Pro Football Focus considered the 76th-best draft prospect — turned on his favorite television show and tried not to think about football.
His agent called and tried to cheer him up. His parents did too.
“They just said, ‘We believe in you, just as much as you believe in yourself,” Graham said Sunday. “‘Your name is going to get called.