Ad Disclosure
Demetrius Knight Jr. has heartwarming reaction to draft call with the Bengals
Published:
Demetrius Knight Jr. got the call on Friday night, and man, was it a memorable one.
The former South Carolina linebacker was taken by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 49 overall pick in this weekend’s NFL Draft. He was projected as a second- or third-round pick by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, and he ended up going in the second round. So, there was nothing out of the ordinary about where Knight was picked after he starred for the Gamecocks last fall following collegiate stops at Georgia Tech and Charlotte.
What stood out about Knight’s selection to Cincinnati was his call with the Bengals when they let the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder know that he was heading to the AFC North to start his pro career.
Knight was watching the draft at South Carolina when his phone rang. It was Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor on the other end, and things developed in a memorable way from there.
“I appreciate you, Coach,” said Knight, who was so overcome with emotion that he was bent over in his chair while crying tears of joy.
After Taylor was telling Knight about how the team had heard such great things about him, there was more raw emotion and more tears.
“You got a good one, Coach,” Knight assured Taylor.
After the 2 hung up the phone, it was time to watch the pick on live TV. And when it was announced, the room at South Carolina where the watch party was happening erupted with a thunderous cheer. Knight sat there, trying to keep his wits about him and just taking it all in. His dream had been realized.
Here is the complete video:
In a short while, Knight will get down to work. It will be time to show Taylor that the Bengals made the right choice.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
