Ahead of the draft, Chris Herndon and Mark Walton each went through intense rehabilitative work to recover from season-ending injuries and show NFL personnel they were ready for the physical challenges that come with playing professional football.
And on Saturday, in the fourth round, two NFL teams opted to give the two Hurricanes opportunities to prove themselves at the next level, with the New York Jets taking Herndon with the 107th pick and five picks later, the Cincinnati Bengals adding Walton to their roster.
Herndon and Walton were just two of the former Hurricane players that heard their names called on the final day of the draft with defensive tackle RJ McIntosh — a former Cardinal Gibbons standout — going in the fifth round to the New York Giants, receiver Braxton Berrios going in the sixth round to the New England Patriots and defensive tackle Kendrick Norton going in the seventh round to the Carolina Panthers.