It’s been a a while since an Arizona Wildcat has received a phone call during the NFL draft, let alone the first round.
Arizona has just 10 first-round picks in program history, and hasn’t produced a first-round selection since 2008, when Jim Thorpe Award winner Antoine Cason was taken No. 27 overall by the San Diego Chargers.
The previous time before that? In 2000, when running back Trung Canidate was drafted 31st by the St. Louis Rams.
Cason played six seasons in the NFL with the Chargers, Cardinals, Panthers and Ravens. Canidate spent four seasons with the Rams and Washington.
Cason and Canidate joined “Spears and Ali” on ESPN Tucson in the weeks leading up to the NFL draft in Las Vegas. The two looked back on preparing for the draft, the emotions of becoming a first-round pick, how they spent their first paycheck, and more:
What do you remember about the anticipation of becoming a first-round pick?
Cason: “It’s crazy that I’m the last guy to come out of Arizona (in the first round of the NFL draft). In preparation for the draft, you go through a lot of mental thoughts. It’s a lot of different thoughts like, ‘How am I going to take care of my body? How do I answer these questions that the scouts are going to ask?’ On top of being in shape, performing well, backpedaling well, catching the ball, and sometimes it can be nerve-wracking, because you feel like you can’t get out there and make a mistake.
“That’s when you should just go for it. But I definitely went through a lot of emotions. What helped me was staying confident in knowing what I could do at that time and my ability. I was an underdog so to speak, because a lot of people didn’t have me in the first round, so I had nothing to lose. I kept that attitude no matter what.”
Canidate: “I definitely declined going out to the draft. I knew I was going late and I think Kansas City had the 21st pick, and I didn’t want to be sweating and having everyone see the sweat come off my face. All I do remember is that it’s a very important moment. It’s the biggest moment of your life, getting that phone call. I remember letting all my friends know: ‘Don’t call my phone.’ … It was just about having a whole bunch of family.”
What was that moment like when you received the phone call and you were selected in the first round of the NFL draft?
Cason: “It was surreal. I didn’t really have any emotions yet. I didn’t know what to think. It just happened. As soon as it happened, all of the media started to call, so I never really had a moment to soak it in. My phone froze, because there were so many text messages coming in. I had something like 700 or 800 text messages. I’ve never seen anything like that before. It was a feeling of, ‘Wow, this is the moment I’ve worked for and here it is.’ … All those plays I made and risks I took, and I risked a lot playing football, it was just finally worth it. Once it sunk in, it was an amazing feeling.”
Canidate: “It’s just an amazing feeling. I’m a pretty laid-back guy, but getting into a moment like that was almost surreal. I almost thought it was a prank call. But I just remember getting a call from (Rams head coach) Mike Martz on draft day and he said that if I were there (at pick No. 28), he’d get me. Then he called me and asked me If I was ready to be a Ram. The answer was a resounding yes. I pretty much blacked out after that. I had to let the hyperventilation set in. I think we opened up the doors, because we were saving money on air conditioning, and said we can breathe now.”
Arizona running back Trung Canidate was a first-round pick of the then-St. Louis Rams in 2000.
What were the emotions going through your head after taking the phone call?
Canidate: “Whew. A lot of it was just a culmination of hard work and watching it pay off. I had a lot of family around and friends. … It’s something you can never duplicate. You almost have to go back and look at the video of what happened that, because I pretty much blacked out.”
St. Louis Rams' Trung Canidate (24) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter as New York Giants Jessie Armistead and Rams' Adam Timmerman (62) look on.
What advice would you offer to current players embarking the NFL journey?
Canidate: “The NFL is what it is. The NFL stands for Not For Long. You have to make sure your nutrition is right and you have to be willing to open your ears and listen to somebody that’s been there before you. There’s a couple jobs in the world, so you have to be prepared and understand that every opportunity you get could add years to your career. My biggest thing is to make sure you have people around you who understand business and how to move in that type of environment, because your time is so limited. So, you really need a team that markets you well, and find people to help you with nutrition. … Those are things that weren’t really taught, but I’m just thankful I had great people around me.”
Cason: “It’s very tough. In college, it’s spring game, summer workouts and then the season. Right from there, you still have to grind and then work from the NFL draft combine, then you have pro day. Once you get drafted, that’s not it yet. That’s when you get to OTAs, mini camp and training camp. So, you don’t get a break for a full year. That’s mentally draining.
“Once you get drafted, take a couple weeks off. You’re not going to lose speed, muscle, endurance, when you take a couple weeks off, because you’re 21-22 years old. Take those couple weeks to yourself, relax and refocus on understanding that it’s now a long haul. … Also, ask questions to as many veterans as you can, and use as many resources as you can. I talked to (UA wide receiver) Stanley Berryhill and told him if you have any questions about this — and it’s new to him, and I’ve done it — to reach out to me. I think that’s what is going to help guys through this process as well.”
The San Diego Chargers took cornerback Antoine Cason with their first-round pick in 2008. Cason remains the UA's last first-round pick.
What was your first splurge after acquiring your first NFL paycheck?
Canidate: “If you really want to know, I got one of those Tempur-Pedic mattresses, and I really believe in making sure to get good rest. That was at the top of the list. It goes in my home and that was definitely one of my first purchases. … I didn’t even buy my first car until my fourth year in the league. … You had a bunch of guys telling me, ‘Go buy this, go buy that,’ but I had a grounded mother who taught me well. But one of the biggest purchases was for my brother who went to that ‘ol scummy school up north (Arizona State). I bought Cornell (Canidate) a really nice U of A jersey, so he could represent. That was part of the stipulation.”
Cason: “First purchase I ever made was a bottle.”
Bottle of what?
Cason: “A bottle of tequila, because I got to hang out. It’s time for me to sit in the house and do this. But my first big purchase was this: I bought two (condominiums) next to the University of Arizona. That was my first big purchase, and I rented them out to students.”
