The second day of the NFL Draft was a big one for two players from north of the border, as a pair of Canadians were chosen in the second and third rounds, respectively.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected speedy Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool in the second round with the 49th overall pick. The Abbotsford native is the ninth-highest Canadian ever picked at the NFL Draft.
The Dallas Cowboys took Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Neville Gallimore in the third round, grabbing the Ottawa native with the 82nd overall pick.
Hear my story.
Feel my motivation.
See my journey.
This weekend it all comes together pic.twitter.com/LfZrRAIsKP— Chase Claypool (@ChaseClaypool) April 19, 2020
Both players had to fight just to get looked at from US colleges, with Claypool putting his highlights on Facebook, which led to him getting a scholarship from Notre Dame.
It was a lucky break for Claypool, who didn’t intentionally post the videos for recruiting purposes.
“I just threw my highlights on Facebook just because it was something I wanted to do for friends and family to see,” he said. Claypool wound up leading his team in receptions and receiving yards in 2019.
Gallimore, meanwhile, switched high schools to get noticed, playing five hours away at Canada Prep Academy in St Catharines.
For the first time ever, the NFL Draft was held virtually, which made for some unique moments. The league made the best of it, getting most people on video as the events took place.
Here’s Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin welcoming Claypool to the team:
The call that made @ChaseClaypool a Pittsburgh Steeler! 📞#SteelersDraft pic.twitter.com/sdEYkPPBda
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 25, 2020
Gallimore, meanwhile, was welcomed by a member of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
Welcome to #CowboysNation, @Path2Greatwork ❕ We can’t wait to cheer you on this season at @ATTStadium pic.twitter.com/36gszHK4wY
— Cowboys Cheerleaders (@DCCheerleaders) April 25, 2020
But perhaps the best video of all came from Oklahoma defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux, who couldn’t have been prouder to see Gallimore realize his dream:
All ❤️ from @CoachThibbs and family!@Path2Greatwork realizing a dream#NFLDraft #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/vwAy2jYV7D
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) April 25, 2020
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