Wan'Dale Robinson describes "surreal" NFL Draft Selection by the New York Giants

For as long as he can remember, Wan’Dale Robinson dreamed of being an NFL Draft pick. Years of envisioning the experience could not prepare him for the moment when his name was called Friday night.

“It’s just surreal. Since I was 5-years-old, it’s a moment I’ve been dreaming about my whole life,” he said shortly after he was picked. “To have it all come to life… I can’t even put it into words what I was feeling. It was just great.”

Robinson was selected by the New York Giants with the 43rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. A few days before the draft began, he met with the Giants’ front office and had a hunch they would take him sooner than many projected.

“I kind of got a feeling they would be high on me, early. I didn’t even notice that there pick was up, I just saw my phone ring and I knew who it was and I was happy there,” said Robinson.

Kentucky Mr. Football in 2018, he started his career at Nebraska. Many prognosticators pegged him as “undraftable” after two years in Lincoln. He credits the University of Kentucky for making his NFL dreams come true.

“It doesn’t get any better than this. I can truly tell you I don’t think I’d be drafted in the second round if I didn’t choose to come back to Kentucky. If I would’ve stayed at Nebraska, no disrespect to Nebraska, that’s just the way it is. I give them all the credit, my teammates all the credit too. They helped me get better each and everyday to get to this point.”

Robinson credits his teammates, many of which were at his draft party, for helping him break records in Lexington. “I love all of them to death. That was really a big reason why I felt like I excelled this year is because I was so comfortable around the guys on the team.”

Robinson hopes his success can inspire other kids from around Kentucky to follow their dreams, no matter how big they may be.

“Nobody can really think that you’re going to come off Western Hills High School field and be a second round draft pick,” Robinson said. “For me to do it just shows a lot of kids that you can come out of anywhere and do anything.”