LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With the NFL Draft arriving in less than two weeks, college football stars are getting ready to hear their names called in Green Bay.
A UNLV player has not been selected in the NFL Draft since 2010. On the heels of a historic Rebels season, that 15-year drought is expected to be broken.
The Rebels held their Pro Day on March 24, and it was the first-ever UNLV Football Pro Day to attract at least one scout from all 32 NFL teams. Various Rebel stars tested while linebacker Jackson Woodard and wide receiver Ricky White III headlined the event.
Parents and siblings of some of the prospects traveled to Las Vegas to witness their favorite Rebel perform at the Pro Day.
WATCH | Channel 13 caught up with those families to hear how they were feeling ahead of the draft:
“It’s watching your kid's dreams come true," said Cecily Ballungay, mother of tight end Kaleo Ballungay. "Unfolding right before their eyes, right before your eyes. Just making sure you’re supporting where their heads are at from when they were little all the way up to this very moment."
“It’s a surreal moment," said Ricky White Jr., Ricky White III's dad. "I feel like I’ve been right along on this journey with him. To see him reach his goals and work extremely hard at it, I'm extremely ecstatic to see the process and the end result of all this.”
Hajj-Malik Williams took over at quarterback mid-season for the Rebels amid an NIL controversythat put UNLV in national headlines. The senior would face that adversity and thrive, leading the Rebels to a Top 25 ranking, a Mountain West runner-up finish, and an LA Bowl win.
“Hajj has been playing since he was 4 years old," said his mom, Veverly Griffin. "Just to see him continue to do what he loves to do is a blessing. For me to be able to travel and support him is amazing, and I’m thankful.”
“I’m very proud of him," Hajj's sister Ayzhah Williams said. "He’s worked so hard ever since he started playing football. He’s always known what he wants to do, and he’s never wavered on that journey.”
The Rebels know the importance of having a support system and appreciate everything their families have done to help them get to this point.
“It's a blessing," White III said. "I’m thankful that they allowed me to put the work in, make them happy, make myself happy, showcase the work I put in leading up to this point in front of them. I’m thankful they’re here."
“A support system is everything," Williams said. "Without it, a lot of people struggle. When I was facing what I was facing at the beginning of the season, that’s what I leaned on the most, my love circle. Those are the people, to me, that support me through the good and the bad."
"To have those two in my corner day in and day out is special," Williams continued. "A lot of people don't have that. I’m very grateful that I do.”
The NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 24, and goes through Saturday, April 26. All seven rounds will be broadcast on Channel 13.
