What Kamal Hadden said after being picked by the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Draft

What Tennessee defensive back Kamal Hadden said during his media availability on Saturday after being selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs:

The moment when he heard his name called at the NFL Draft

“The moment I was drafted, just, man, I’m just so thankful. I want thank the man above, thank God to get me to this opportunity. It was just a real blessing for me, for my family, and for everybody. So I was just real thankful for the opportunity.” 

How he feels like he’ll fit with the Kansas City Chiefs

“I think I fit well with the Chiefs, man. I think I’m a guy that can come in and compete and make plays. I think I can bring a lot of energy to this defense. They got a great team over there, a great organization going. And I just think I could come in and help a little bit.” 

Playing junior college football at Independence in Kansas

“I never been up to Kansas City, but I was in Independence and it’s far away and it’s isolated. It is self-explanatory, but it is a great. I always took people, but that was a great time for me in college and I think that was one of my best years, being at Independence, just getting my mind focused and getting everything ready to make a transition to the next level. So it was real.” 

Updating his health after undergoing shoulder surgery in October

“The shoulder’s great, man. The shoulder’s great. I feel like I’m real good and I feel like I’m to a point where I can compete and I can go out there and do my thing. My shoulder is, I feel like, all the way to the point where it needs to be. Going out there and knocking the rust off and get back to moving and competing with other people lined up in front of me. I feel like that’s where I’m at. And we had a great offseason of getting my shoulder right, getting healthy. And everything came how it was supposed to come, so my shoulder’s great.”

What he feels like his best trait is on the football field

“I feel like my best trait is my playmaking ability at all given times. I feel like I can be a guy that can change a game with a quick turnover whenever. Just if he gets beat or even if I made a play before, I feel like can come back and do it again. And I feel like I can always just give my fair share when I’m going against somebody else that’s going across from me. So I just feel like that’s my best attribute.”

What his draft day was like on Saturday

“Man, my day was big. I’m from Ypsilanti, man. I got a lot of people with me right now. I actually got a guy, KJ Osborne, man, he with me right here. He helped me through this whole process, man. He’s just been keeping me calm. I was feeling a little down because it was getting late, but I had a lot of family and friends here and I feel like I want to applaud him and thank him for keeping me calm and giving me some advice through this time right now. Because I got a lot of emotions right now. It’s a lot of emotions in the room.”

His friendship with KJ Osborne 

“Man, he’s the guy that I know. We’re from the same city. He’s the guy that I’ve known and I’ve seen come up, his whole journey and the things that he has done in the league. Even before the league, to high school and in college. I knew him and I knew his family and his family know my family and we know like each other like that through the city.”

What it’s like to be drafted by a franchise like the Kansas City Chiefs, coming off back-to-back Super Bowl titles 

“Man, it’s a great opportunity. I’m just so thankful for the opportunity, that they came and put their belief in me and want me to come help the organization. I’m just thankful for Coach (Andy Reid) and thankful for the whole organization. Just thankful for the opportunity. No matter when you go, that’s what my family is reminding me of my friends, it don’t matter where you go, as long as you get the opportunity, make the most out of it. And we always have done that and we always stick to our game plan and just execute. That’s what a lot of people would say to my family right now, just go execute. No matter where you go, go execute.”