For 259 young men, the call they’ve been waiting a lifetime for came at some point this weekend: the call that they had been selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Well, almost for 258, as the Commanders’ third-round pick, former Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg, had to talk to the team through his dad’s phone because somehow, Washington thought they had an incorrect number.
“I got a new iPhone last year, but sometimes my phone doesn’t receive calls; my brother, Tim, was sitting next to me, and I had him call my phone just in case,” Stromberg told Grant & Danny when he joined the guys on Monday. “Everyone in my family was hanging out and my dad ran out of his room screaming ‘Washington is on the phone!’ I didn’t know they had called the wrong number, but I talked to them through his phone.”
All’s well that ends well, and Stromberg was happy that he went on Day 2.
“It was a shock, I was in shock for a good hour after it happened. All my family was there, and it was amazing,” Stromberg said. “I was expecting, from what my agents were telling me, was anywhere from the third to the sixth round. I had no idea, I was just hoping it would be Day 2.”
The end to a stressful pre-Draft process, but one he greatly enjoyed.
“I enjoyed it – a lot of people were telling me this would be stressful, but I enjoyed the whole process,” Stromberg said. “Ron Rivera called me and asked I wanted to be a Commander, and then I told my family and they all cheered. It was a really cool moment.”
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The Commanders were one of Stromberg’s Top 30 visits, and he got a good vibe right away.
“When I got there, I was meeting with a bunch of staff, then I met with (GM Martin) Mayhew for 10 or 15 minutes, and I felt comfortable talking to him,” Stromberg said. “Then I met with (offensive line) Coach (Travelle) Wharton and (offensive coordinator) Eric Bieniemy, and I knew it felt like a good fit for me. The culture I have seen so far, I loved it, and the whole process went really well.”
Stromberg has played both guard and center, so he could be a versatile piece for the line, even if he prefers to be in the middle – but wherever he is, he’s going to work hard to be the best he can.
“I do view myself as a center, but if they need me to play guard, I’ll do whatever they need me to do,” he said. “I’m gonna be a guy who comes in and works hard and keeps his head down, and I’m super excited to get out there.”
Listen to Stromberg’s entire interview with Grant & Danny above, and find out more about the man and his game…and how much deep-dish pizza he can eat!
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