Every NFL draft prospect knows they need to keep their phone line open in hopes they’ll get a call to find out they’ve been picked. Actually managing to do that can’t be easy.
According to Jacksonville Jaguars brass, one of their draft selections on Saturday, safety Erick Hallett II, wasn’t quite ready to answer the phone when they decided to pick him.
“One guy we couldn’t get on the phone,” Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said after the draft. “I believe it was … let me see if I can recall. I think it was Erick Hallett.”
“Went straight to voice mail,” head coach Doug Pederson added. “Twice.”
Whether it was a dead battery, a mistimed trip to the bathroom, another call, or some other telephone mishap hasn’t yet been answered. But the Jaguars did get a hold of Hallett, eventually.
“Once he got on the phone, he was fired up,” Baalke said.
Hallett was one of three players picked by the Jaguars in the sixth round and one of 10 in Day 3. The former Pittsburgh defensive back was one of two safeties picked by the Jaguars on Saturday, along with Antonio Johnson, and joins a crowded group of defensive backs battling for roster spots.
