Rome Odunze gives perfect answer when asked if he can land a plane in emergency situation

Former Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze is a man of great confidence. He’s been very vocal in his belief that he’s a top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, his confidence doesn’t extend to all things.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, a reporter asked Odunze whether he believes he’d be able to land a plane in an emergency situation. His answer was brutally honest.

“Absolutely not. We’re going down. All souls perished,” Odunze said with a chuckle.

.@RomeOdunze's self-awareness rating 📈😂 @UW_Football | #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/wQ6V17eeuV

— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2024

It was a random question but those are common in interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine. Reporters and team officials alike want to peel back layers of the players preparing for April’s Draft.

A YouGov Survey published in January of 2023 yielded results that showed nearly 46% of men believe they have the ability to safely land a plane in an emergency with air traffic control’s guidance. The number dropped to 30% when considering both genders.

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is particularly high on Odunze this cycle. He has the Huskies standout as his No. 3 pass catcher in this draft. Odunze comes in behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brock Bowers.

Joel Klatt: Odunze is ‘phenomenal’

“Rome is phenomenal,” Klatt said. “Led the country in receiving last year, over 1,600 yards. He is a terrific route runner. He’s very confident once the ball is in the air. He’s terrific down the field and he has got great hands.”

The other word that comes to mind for Klatt regarding Odunze is consistency. He was consistently great for the Huskies, especially in his final season in Seattle and specifically in some of the team’s biggest moments when they needed him most.

“One of the things I loved about Rome Odunze is that when they needed big performances against some of the stiffest competition that they played? He was at his best,” said Klatt.

“He went five for 87 against Michigan and drew a couple of those flags. Like, he was terrific. Check out what he did against Oregon – eight for 128 and two touchdowns in that first game against the Ducks. Seven for 106 and two touches in the rain against Oregon State. Eight for 102 in the Pac-12 title game in the second matchup against Oregon. Six for 125 against Texas in the national semifinal,” Klatt recalled. “This dude showed up, okay?”

Odunze left Washington with 214 catches for 3,272 yards and 24 touchdowns in 40 games. The receptions and yardage are both second in Huskies history while the touchdowns are third-most.

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this report.