*Players never forget the day they were drafted, and they can remember various moments from that once-in-a-lifetime day, memories that sharpen as a new NFL Draft approaches each year.
Packers.com caught up with all the members of Green Bay's 2009 draft class who are still on the roster, plus one non-drafted rookie from 2009, to share what they remember most from draft day one year ago.
Excerpts of those thoughts are here in the second of a two-part series.*
Jarius Wynn, sixth round (No. 182 overall)
"I was back home in Lincolnton, Ga., with my immediate family, my high school coaches and my best friend. In the morning, I went to church and everything, came back home, and we were just sitting, waiting on the time. I prayed about it, and I knew it was going to come through.
"I talked to a lot of teams. I talked to Tampa a lot and I talked to Jacksonville during pre-draft, the day before. They called and said they were going to try to get me. So I thought I was going to end up at Jacksonville or Tampa, but it worked out all right.
"I knew I was going to be a late-rounder. I had heard from third all the way down, but stuff happens. When I got the call, I was shocked. I broke down and cried. It was late, sixth round. I was nervous, (wondering) when is someone going to call me. It was a blessing. I was kind of speechless, didn't know what to say. I had all these emotions going on inside.
"We celebrated, but it wasn't anything outrageous. Had a little barbecue at home, and me and my cousin went to Applebee's and had a couple of drinks. That was it.
"I came to a great place, Green Bay, all the tradition. It was a good experience. The wait was long, but it was great though, a great feeling. I always wanted to play in the NFL. I'm just glad to be here."
Brandon Underwood, sixth round (No. 187 overall)
"It was a roller coaster ride. I actually was with my family (in Cincinnati), sitting and just waiting. After the rounds I had been projected came and passed, I was like, 'Wow, I'm probably not going to get drafted.' So I was mentally preparing myself to be able to go wherever and put in double-time with the work. Being a free agent, you have to do that much more.
"I actually had left my apartment because I had gotten a little bit upset about the whole ordeal, so I went on a drive, and as I was driving, I got a private call to my phone. I normally don't pick up private calls, but I thought I'm going to pick it up today. When I picked it up, it was Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy, and Ted was saying, 'We're thinking about drafting you here at the next pick,' and my emotions got real high. And when they told me they were going to go ahead and take me, I can't even explain the feeling. It was an elation that came over my body, the best feeling I've ever had in my life.
"I've experienced some great things, but it had to honestly have been the best feeling, because the accomplishment, to actually be given the honor to be drafted was something that is special. I got really emotional. I started crying, because it was a lifelong battle, a journey from the bottom of the hill to the top.
"The whole day, I was in disbelief. I hadn't seen my mom and dad together since 2004, and my father actually had moved to Atlanta, but he flew up, and my mom still lives in Cincinnati, and my brothers all came. We were all together, and we all went out to dinner, and just to be able to see my parents together took me back to being a kid. Growing up, there were a lot of happy times, so it's something I'll never forget, and it was a life-changing experience.
"A lot of people called me, saying congratulations, a lot of my teammates at Cincinnati, at Ohio State. Everybody was happy for me because a lot of people knew I came a long way to reach my dreams."
Brad Jones, seventh round (No. 218 overall)
"The first day, I didn't think I was going to be a first-day guy, so I just sat around and watched it with (current Green Bay receiver) Patrick Williams. He was my roommate for the past six years and we went to Colorado together.
"The second day was the day. Most teams had been telling me I was going to be a mid- or late-fourth round guy. It was a long day. I didn't think it was going to be that long. We sat around, me and Pat again, and another one of our fraternity brothers. We were at his house, and the fourth round went by, but I kept getting calls. Teams kept saying, 'Something happened this round, we're going to get you next round.' All these teams would call. I probably heard from about 12 teams.
{sportsad300}"But after all the teams called in the sixth round, I was like, 'All right, I'm going to get picked up free agent or something.' But I wasn't one of the guys sitting there saying, 'I can't believe this,' holding my head down. I know the draft is roulette wheel anyway, for the most part, and I knew as long as I got a chance to show my abilities, I was good. Even if I had gone free agent, I wouldn't have cared. As long as I got a chance. That's all I really asked for.
"But Pat and my other friend left, and they went and started shooting hoops. So I was sitting there by myself, about 10 minutes went by, and I got a call again. I was like, 'Here we go again, ...' But it was the Packers, and Green Bay hadn't called. That was one team that had not called me any of the other rounds.
"I think it was Ted and he said, 'How do you feel about being a Packer?' And I was like, 'I would love it, that would be great. So what are y'all doing this round?' I wasn't even paying attention to the order at this point, and he said, 'Well, we're thinking about taking you,' and then I saw my name come up on the ticker. I was looking at my name on the screen, so I was like, 'All right, I think that would be a great choice.' And he said, 'OK, we'll do it then. Congratulations.'
"Then he passed the phone down the line and I talked to Mike McCarthy, Dom Capers, Kevin Greene. It was crazy, because I was by myself in the house, but then as I'm talking to them, everybody else around that I know sees this and I'm getting, honest statement, probably 200 calls in a 15- or 20-minute period. I'm trying to talk to (the Packers) on the phone, but every time my phone rings, it beeps and the sound goes out with the call waiting. And my call waiting can do two different people at once, so all I hear is all this beeping and I can kind of hear them but they can't hear me at all. They're like, 'Are you still there?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, there's just a lot of people calling me right now.'
"So then I talked to my family, mom and dad and brothers, and then just cut my phone off because it was going crazy. I started trying to pick up all the calls and the media was calling, and I didn't know how they got my number, so I cut the phone off for a while and just sat in the house smiling."
Evan Dietrich-Smith, non-drafted free agent (signed May 1, five days after draft)
"I was sitting around pretty much all day, watching the draft with a bunch of my friends, my roommates and some friends from my team. Watching the draft is one of the most boring things to do, but it's one of those times you think it might be important for you. I was hoping for late-round pick, but once the draft got over and I had a couple teams calling me, I got excited, just to get calls from them and get an opportunity to try out for a team.
"I had the Jets and the Giants talking to me, and the Packers. That was pretty much it, three teams. The funny part about it is actually when I got a call from the Packers, I accidentally hung up on the guy when I was talking to him. I was trying to find my agent's number in my phone and I accidentally hit the wrong button, and I was so upset. But they ended up getting a hold of my agent and getting a hold of me anyways, but at the time I was like, "Oh, nooooooo!'
"Talking to my agent and thinking about Green Bay, I knew this was going to be one of the better opportunities for me to come and make a team and get a shot. I was happy with the choice I made and was happy to get out here.
"My agent told me just the fans, the atmosphere here, it's one of the best organizations in the league. Just the aura and everything surrounding the Packers, and I came here and found out that's pretty much true. For me, just the fact that I got to be a part of an NFL team was cool, and now I'm in the process of just keeping that opportunity going."
