Ben Kuchipudi ’25
Sports Editor
Day Three of the NFL Draft is usually the day that people glance over, but it was a huge day for two of our Crusaders, CJ Hanson and Jalen Coker. Both of them officially found out where they will be playing and we couldn’t be more proud of both of them.
With the 248th pick in the NFL Draft, the reigning back-to-back champions Kansas City Chiefs selected CJ, and you could tell that he was fired up and emotional about the opportunity. The Chiefs posted Hanson’s draft call on their Instagram account, and CJ was ready to answer the bell. Below is CJ’s response to head coach Andy Reid:
“I’m so excited, coach,” said Hanson. “I’m so excited. I couldn’t be happier. I’m going to give you my all, and show you how great I am.”
Hanson showed out at the Combine a few months ago, running a five second 40 yard dash with a vertical of 33.5 inches and a broad jump of just over nine inches. He ranked as the 21st most athletic guard since 1987 according to the Relative Athletic Scoring (RAS) system, and he will be able to take those talents to Kansas City.
“I had incredibly good training the prior months leading up to it, and I had some guys that I knew going into it, so I was confident and comfortable and ready to rip it. So I think I just went out there and just was myself and just gave it all I had, and it worked out”, Hanson said in his post-draft interview.
Hanson celebrated the draft with his family and a number of his teammates at his house in New Jersey, but he knows that he has to get back to work to prove himself.
“I’m coming to a back-to-back Super Bowl-winning team. So, you know there’s a standard there. And I’m going to have to definitely get to that standard and excel past that standard,” explained Hanson.
As for Coker, he did not receive a draft call, but like his former teammates Liam Anderson and Benton Whitley, he was among the first to receive a contract as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). Former Crusader receiver Ayir Asante also signed with the New York Giants in the hours after the draft’s conclusion.
As we know, Coker was the best receiver in the FCS this past season and he not only led the FCS in receiving touchdowns with 15, but all of college football as well. Coker broke many records as a Crusader, and now he can prove himself in the NFL.
“I’m grateful,” Coker said. “All I have ever wanted — and needed — was an opportunity.”
Making a professional league is the hardest thing to do as an athlete. It is what kids dream of when they are young and what they work towards their whole lives. Hanson and Coker already made Crusader history by being the first to be invited to the Combine, and Hanson officially became the first Crusader drafted since Gordie Lockbaum back in 1988. Both of them enjoyed celebrating the moment with their family and friends, but they both know that they have to get back to work as soon as possible. Making an NFL roster is never a guarantee, but I have full faith in both of them to have long and successful careers. They embody what it means to be a Crusader, and I think I speak for all of us at Holy Cross when I say that we couldn’t be prouder.
Featured image courtesy of HERO Sports
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