Clemson’s defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro kept an Atlanta Falcons cap in his car after meeting with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“I got it on my head right now,” Orhorhoro told local media on April 26 as he expressed his early reactions to being selected by the Falcons in the NFL Draft. “I’m glad I kept it.”
Orhorhoro was not merely selected by Atlanta in the second round. The Falcons were willing to trade up to the No. 35 pick, sending the 43rd and 79th picks to the Cardinals, to ensure they got the Clemson product.
He was Clemson’s second defender drafted, after cornerback Nate Wiggins, who went 30th overall to the Baltimore Ravens.
“It means a lot,” Orhorhoro said about the Falcons’ trade up. “It indicates they genuinely wanted me and saw something in me, guy. I cannot let them down. I will do everything in my power to not let them down.”
Orhorhoro joins a Clemson-heavy team that also boasts defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and cornerback A.J. Terrell. Atlanta also signed receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III as a free agent this offseason, while punter Bradley Pinion joined the team in 2022.
“That’s a place where I can learn from other guys. Grady Jarrett is one of Clemson’s all-time greats,” Orhorhoro stated. “It’s a privilege to learn from a guy who’s been in the league so long. I cannot wait, man.
“If I could do it today, I’d do it right now.”
