Kenneth Murray, alongside his family, exploded with emotion after receiving his phone call Thursday night.
The Oklahoma linebacker had just been told he would be drafted at No. 23 overall by the Los Angeles Chargers, a dream that had been a long time coming for the Sooners defensive juggernaut.
The moment @KennethMurray's dream came true#NFLDraft #OUDNA
đź“ş #NFLDraft on ABC, @espn & @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/B7OGDQoder
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) April 24, 2020
Murray quoted one of his own tweets after being drafted, one he had sent over three years ago as a 17-year-old high school prospect. “3 years from now I will be a 1st round draft pick as a OLB….JUST WAIT.” the tweet read. Thursday night his prediction came true.
Murray earned the reputation as Oklahoma’s fearless leader on the defensive side of the ball. He led the Sooners both on the stat sheet and as a vocal leader. In his time with the Sooners, Murray amassed 325 total tackles, including 36.5 for loss. The 6-foot-2-inch, 243-pound linebacker always had the attributes to succeed, but he found the most success under Alex Grinch during his senior season.
CeeDee Lamb was the other Sooner taken in the first round at No. 17 overall by the Dallas Cowboys.