Josh Paschal Describes Emotional Draft Night; "I don't think it's really hit me yet"

Josh Paschal is a Detroit Lion. Less than 24 hours after he received a call from the Lions’ front office, he was still wrapping his head around his new reality: Paschal is a member of the National Football League.

“It was crazy,” the All-SEC defender told KSR. “It was literally everything I’ve ever dreamed of because I had everyone there that helped me get to that point and just waiting for that phone call, when it came it was a dream come true.”

After five years at Kentucky, almost five months of offseason rehab and training, he spent his Friday night anxiously waiting for the life-changing call.

“It was nerve-wracking for sure. It’s hard to describe the feeling. It’s kind of like if you tried to take a nap before the biggest game of your life. You just have butterflies in your stomach 24/7. It feels like no matter what, you just had so many nerves going on, you didn’t know when somebody was going to call you. You were checking your phone every two seconds to make sure your ringer is turned all the way up and all of that.

“People text you and you try to put it on do not disturb. You’re making sure that all of these calls coming in are from somebody that’s trying to draft you. I was in a recliner in a movie type chair. I kept thinking, ‘Did the chair just vibrate or was it my phone?’“

After ignoring countless ‘good luck’ messages from friends, a ‘313’ number popped up on Paschal’s phone. It was the phone call he’s waited his whole life to answer.

“They told me they were ready to make me a Lion. As soon as that happened, I went downstairs with my family with the rest of the party,” said Paschal. “They announced it and I don’t think it’s really hit me yet to be honest. It hit me that I’ve gotten drafted by the Lions, but I don’t think it’s really sunk in that I’m in the NFL.”

A Family Affair on Draft Night

The person who was by side for that phone call was his older brother, Tre’Vaughn. The elder Paschal played at UK from 2011-2014, contributing at linebacker for Mark Stoops’ first two Kentucky teams. Even though he was a Joker Phillips holdover, Stoops invited Tre’Vaughn to join the coaching staff as a graduate assistant. Tre’Vaughn was there to help Josh in his transition to the SEC. Now he’s helping him transition into the NFL as his agent.

Ahead of this year’s draft Tre’Vaughn Paschal established PFC Sports Group. Initially, the family patriarch, Clayton, wanted Josh represented by someone with experience in the business. After all, Josh worked incredibly hard to reach this point, why risk it? That all changed when the family met with other agencies.

“We sat down and met with a few big agencies and a lot of those agents didn’t know football, which is crazy,” Tre’Vaughn said. “You would expect them to know football and be able to talk ball with you. They know the difference between a 3-4 and a 4-3, but they don’t know what a player has to work on and all that stuff and where to send a player to get better, who the top trainer is at his position. It was so crazy once we sat down with them, and I was like, ‘We’re just going to do this.'”

The risk was worth the reward. Considered a third rounder throughout most of his senior campaign at Kentucky, Josh Paschal climbed all way up to the top half of the second round as the No. 46 overall selection.

“I have somebody I can trust on my side,” said Josh. “At the end of the day, it’s my brother. It’s something we’ve both been working for since I was born. It’s cool to have your family by your side throughout the whole thing.”

Paschal is Prepared to be an Impact Rookie for the Lions

Entering the second day of the NFL Draft, Paschal did not expect to be taken by the Detroit Lions. However, his wardrobe choice turned out to be fortuitous. He wore a baby blue sweatsuit, the franchise’s team colors.

“It was kind of a surprise,” said the former Cat. “I met with them at the Combine; I had a formal meeting with them. They had everybody there, but it was definitely a surprise for me just because they took Aidan Hutchinson with the second pick too.”

The former Michigan Wolverine was the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick until the week of the draft. Selected by Detroit with the second overall pick, Hutchinson will remain close to his old stomping grounds. Some may be weary to enter an organization that’s so heavily invested into an athlete that plays the same position. Not Paschal.

“It’s going to be good, just being able to play with him, to be able to work together because at the end of the day we’re both going to be rookies. We want to have a big impact our rookie year. To be able to do that with a couple young edges, it’s going to be fun.”

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Paschal was welcomed to the organization by a former UK teammate, Logan Stenberg. A fourth round selection in 2020, the offensive guard’s 2021 season was ended prematurely by a knee injury. He joined the Wildcats on the sideline for the Governor’s Cup and spent the last month working out with Josh in Lexington. Stenberg gave glowing reviews of Detroit and the Lions organization, but what Paschal is looking forward to most are two meetings with the Green Bay Packers.

“I get two shots at Aaron Rodgers a year,” he said. “Lambeau in the snow, let’s go.”

Even though the experience has not yet completely set in, Josh Paschal has already rearranged his annual Thanksgiving plans. “That postgame meal is about to be amazing.”