2020 first-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tristan Wirfs, met with media via video conference to discuss his reaction to being selected by the team in this year’s NFL Draft.
About being selected by the Bucs Wirfs said, “It was a pretty special moment. When your phone starts vibrating you get this wave of excitement and fear, and all these emotions.”
Earlier in the evening, Bruce Arians talked about the offensive tackle having a bit of a head start having come from a system in Iowa very similar to how his own offense likes to operate.
Of course, those who have watched the NFL Draft closely over the years has learned which team and scheme a player is selected to matters more so than the pick at which he’s taken.
I asked Wirfs about his focus heading into the night, and whether he was more concerned about landing with the right team, or at which pick he would be selected.
“I think I came into the night pretty calm and collected. Coming from Iowa we run a pretty pro-style offense,” Wirfs said. “I was just excited to see where I’d end up and be ready to go.”
A nice pre-draft moment was shared on social media prior to the virtual draft getting started when Wirfs provided his mother with red carpet treatment despite the evening being spent at home instead of in Las Vegas.
Brought the #NFLDraftRedCarpet to Iowa . Excited to still have my #NFLDraft moment at home with my family. #StyledandSponsored by @headshoulders! #StrongStyleHealthyScalp pic.twitter.com/lLAauD478E
— Tristan Wirfs (@TristanWirfs74) April 23, 2020
Of the moment, the Bucs rookie said, “That was a pretty special deal. Just trying to give her a night kind of like Las Vegas. It’s obviously not near as fancy, we’re not dressed up or nothing, but just rolled the red carpet out on our front lawn. Just trying to make it special for her.”
Fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the first-round tackle they’ve been asking for, and now the team will look towards days two and three of the NFL Draft to see who will be joining Wirfs in this year’s rookie class.
Meanwhile, the young rookie who was born in the year before Tom Brady’s NFL career began, will continue preparing to live his dream of being an NFL offensive lineman.