When a player has dedicated their entire life to the pursuit of professional football, hearing their name called on draft day elicits an emotional reaction.
That’s true whether or not they expect to be drafted.
For some, the reaction is elation and excitement. For others, more raw emotions come pouring out.
On Friday night during Round 2 of the 2024 NFL draft, Minnesota safety Tyler Nubin had his moment when the New York Giants came calling.
When informed that East Rutherford would be his new home, Nubin could not contain himself. What transpired was one of the most real and raw reactions the NFL world has ever seen on draft day.
"You're going to get it all" 🥺 pic.twitter.com/egVqpkcLGR
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 27, 2024
“I doing great, man,” Nubin told general manager Joe Schoen with his voice beginning to crack. “I’m ready, man. Come get me.”
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Bro, thank you so much,” he continued.
As the reality began to set in, Nubin became even more emotional. And when he was handed over to head coach Brian Daboll, the tears began to flow. His appreciation of the moment — and for the Giants — quickly followed.
“You’re gonna get it all,” Nubin said. “Y’all just made the best decision of this whole draft.”
Even when the phone was hung up, the gravity of the moment overwhelmed Nubin. And when his name was officially called at the podium, everything came flooding out.
“Oh, man, I’ve been crying the last 35 minutes,” Nubin told reporters during his Zoom call. “No, for real.”
What made Nubin so emotional? His answer, much like the man himself, was selfless.
“Honestly, not even thinking about the work that I put in,” Nubin said. “The work everybody around me put in, my parents have been working so hard for me all my life, being able to set me up in a good situation. You know, teach me the right things. All of my family and friends around me, on top of the work that I put in, there’s just so many people and so many sacrifices that were made over a long period of time leading up to this moment, it just all came out. Honestly, that’s what it was.”
That is the marking of a true team player and it’s easy to see why the Giants targeted Nubin the person; Nubin the leader.
