Long journey to the NFL draft is only the beginning for college prospects aiming to make the pros

The NFL draft is the culmination of a lifelong dream for many college players who’ve envisioned hearing their names called by Commissioner Roger Goodell since they were kids.

They’ve made plenty of sacrifices and spent hundreds of hours practicing on the field, exercising in the weight room and studying film. They’ve dealt with injuries — some had to overcome significant ones— and battled adversity along the way.

And the journey is just beginning, especially for the players who aren’t picked in the first round and don’t get a guaranteed multiyear contract.

Prospects had to turn it up a notch in the months leading up to this week's draft. From training for the scouting combine to preparing for pro days, interviewing with coaches and visiting teams, the process can be overwhelming.

Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams, USC center Jonah Monheim and Colorado State wideout Tory Horton, who are represented by Excel Sports Management, have spent months getting ready for the big day by training at the agency’s performance center in Irvine, California.

They’ll likely have to wait until the second or third day to hear their names called in Green Bay but the round doesn’t matter because getting the opportunity is the main goal.

“This is something that I’ve been chasing since I was a kid and not too many people get this opportunity, so the fact that I’m in this position and I have this chance, I’m just taking every moment with a breath and I’m not taking anything for granted,” Williams said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of work, a lot of countless hours, sleepless nights, and you never know what’s gonna come out of this. You just put in the work and pray for the best. So just knowing that this could become a reality, it’s something that I still can’t believe and then once my name gets called, I’m just gonna have to take it all in and just really understand that this is the real thing.”

Williams, who is projected to be a second-round pick, ran a 4.4, 40-yard dash at the combine. He’s a proven deep threat who can line up at any of the wide receiver spots.

A former quarterback in high school, Williams caught a career-high 70 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He had 10 catches for 172 yards and a TD in the Holiday Bowl.

For Williams and many others like him, the NFL is a way to make a better life, not just for himself but also his family. That’s a lot of pressure. Williams embraces it.

“It would mean the world,” he said about getting drafted. “Just take a lot off my mom. I can help my family, my siblings. It gives them motivation to keep going and just to know that dreams do actually come true. Living in a society where a lot of people shy (away) from their dreams just to have this opportunity and get drafted is just like a dream come true.”

Horton recorded 1,000 yards receiving as a junior and senior and used his COVID eligibility to stay in school and play an extra year in 2024. A knee injury forced him to miss the second half of his fifth season but he’s healthy and ready to go. Horton is projected to be picked in the third or fourth round.

“The whole process itself is a bit of a grind, but all the work from the Pop Warner days to middle school to the high school days and just the adversity that you’re always facing within life and just the game of football itself, it kind of all plays out,” Horton said. “It kind of molds you and builds you to being that better person, that better version of yourself. And just having a little bit of that weight off of your shoulders from finishing school and only focusing on the sport that you love to do, I feel like that’s something that kind of helps out quite a bit for me. And I kind of just dedicated my entire time to football and just enjoying my life of studying and just dreaming and playing ball.”

Monheim’s path could be even tougher. He’s projected to go anywhere from the fifth round or later with some draft analysts predicting he might have to sign with a team as an undrafted free agent.

“It would mean everything,” Monheim said about getting drafted. “I can’t wait for whatever opportunity presents itself. Obviously, I’ve been training for that moment and I’ll be ready for it and it’d be an awesome moment for my family, for myself, for my coaches, everyone that’s been a part of this process along my whole life.

“It’s another step on the road in my football journey. It’s taken a lot to get to this point, a lot of people pouring into me, a lot of work so you know it’s good to be here and it’s just another step in the road.”

Oregon offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. spent 2 1/2 months training at Excel’s state-of-the-art facilities. His stock soared after a standout performance against Penn State’s Abdul Carter in the Big Ten championship and he could end up giving Goodell a hug on stage Thursday night.

Conerly's daily training routine started with running in the morning, followed by position drills, film sessions and offensive installs. After lunch, it was time in the weight room and then two or three hours of recovery.

“They take care of us like no other,” Conerly said about Excel's staff. “I’m a big tub guy, so I enjoy being in the hot tub, cold tub, sauna, red-light therapy. I like doing all those little things. It has my body feeling the best probably than it’s ever felt.”

The time is now for Williams, Horton, Monheim, Conerly and hundreds of other prospects. The next step is hearing their name called at the draft and then making a name for themselves in the NFL.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Wide receiver Tory Horton lifts weights as he prepares for the NFL football draft at a gym in Irvine, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Kyle Williams talks about his preparation for the NFL football draft at Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receivers Kyle Williams, right, and Tory Horton train for the NFL football draft at Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Offensive lineman Jonah Monheim poses for a photo as he prepares for the NFL Football draft in Irvine, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Tory Horton trains for the NFL football draft at Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Tory Horton talks about his preparation for the NFL football draft in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Offensive lineman Jonah Monheim lifts weights to prepare for the NFL Football draft in Irvine, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Tory Horton works out as he prepares for the NFL football draft at a gym in Irvine, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Tory Horton works out as he prepares for the NFL football draft at a gym in Irvine, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Tory Horton puts on his cleats as he prepares for the NFL football draft in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Kyle Williams trains for the NFL football draft in Lake Irvine, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Coach Rick Proehl, left, works with wide receiver Tory Horton in preparation for the NFL football draft at Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receiver Kyle Williams trains for the NFL football draft at Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Coach Rick Proehl, left, prepares to throw a pass to wide receiver Tory Horton as Horton trains for the NFL football draft at Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Wide receivers Kyle Williams, left, and Tory Horton train for the NFL football draft at Lake Forest Sports Park in Lake Forest, Calif., on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)