Scotland’s David Ojabo has been selected by the Baltimore Ravens in this year’s NFL Draft in Las Vegas.
The Aberdonian had impressed in college football last season, with a series of impressive performances for Michigan Wolverines had seen him tipped as a first round pick in the draft, where the best young prospects in the country are cherry-picked by professional teams.
A serious injury, that will keep the 21-year-old out of action until later this year, damaged his prospects but the Ravens made him 45th pick on Friday.
Ojabo’s parents had travelled from Scotland to join him for the draft ceremony.
The move marks a meteoric rise for Ojabo, who had never played American football before moving to the USA as a teenager.
The 6ft 5in tall, 250lb defender made the call to put himself forward for the NFL after just a year of college football and he had talks with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants.
At a college event to showcase his ability, the linebacker was taking part in a series of drills and training ground routines to let professional sides assess his physical attributes and talents when he suffered an Achilles injury.
Ojabo is expected to make a full recovery and be fit to play in the second half of the season.
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