Getty Ifeatu Melifonwu makes a play on a UNC wideout.
Tons of lives changed over the weekend with the NFL Draft playing out, and watching the moment players get the call to join their new teams will never get old.
New Detroit Lions cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu was no exception. Melifonwu was chosen in the third-round by the team, and while his reaction wasn’t immediately available, it surfaced a day later on the internet. Melifonwu, surrounded by family and friends, was so excited to be able to join the team.
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Here’s a look at the moment the selection played out:
As Melifonwu said in the caption, he’s been dreaming about the day playing out since he was a kid, and he is ready to put in the pain to be great. It’s special to see him so excited to join his new team. Clearly, everyone else around him was just as fired up for him to be joining the squad.
Melifonwu Called ‘Future Star’
With pick 101, the Lions grabbed Melifonwu, and some see that selection as a steal for the team once he hits the league. Melifonwu is a talented player who has plenty of the skills that are needed to become a stud at the next level at a position of need for the team.
On ESPN’s draft coverage, former NFL front office member Louis Riddick broke down the pick and lauded Melifonwu in a big way. He admitted that he sees no reason the player can’t become a star at the next level because he has all the tools to do so.
ESPN’s Louis Riddick on Lions third round CB Ifeatu Melifonwu: “There is no reason why this young man shouldn’t be a superstar.”
“He has all the skill in the world,” Riddick said.
Obviously, getting Melifonwu to that level is going to be the goal in Detroit, but it’s clear the team needed a cornerback in a big way, so cross that need off the list with Melifonwu. He joins a group with Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye where suddenly, there is some youth and major potential for the future.
Melifonwu Stats and Highlights
If the last name sounds familiar to fans, that’s because Ifeatu’s brother Obi Melifonwu played in the NFL recently as well. The older Melifonwu didn’t have nearly as much success, but that doesn’t mean the younger one can’t be great. Melifonwu has solid size at 6-3 and is the type of player who can be a better cornerback than some of the options that may go higher than him in the NFL Draft. In college, he put up 88 tackles, 3 interceptions, 19 passes defended and 1 sack. Melifowu might end up being one of the better cornerbacks that comes out of this draft process, and the Lions hope they will look smart to have nabbed him given their major needs at cornerback.
Here’s a look at some of Melifonwu’s best highlights:
The clips do show a player who has plenty of ability and could even play a starring role in the future for the Lions.
If and when that happens, everyone will remember the excitement of this moment in time.
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