Projected 1st round pick Marcus Davenport invites family, friends to NFL draft

Davenport expected to be SA's first NFL top draft pick in decades

SAN ANTONIO – With the pregame clock winding down, many NFL hopefuls will sport their best suit and tie, lace up their dress shoes, put their game faces on, and take to the big stage at the AT&T Stadium tonight.

This list of hopefuls includes UTSA's former defensive end Marcus Davenport. And after tonight, everything will change for him.

Recommended Videos



Davenport invited former teammates and close friends Larry Stephens and Nate Gaines along to Dallas for the draft. As well as UTSA head football coach Frank Wilson, his coach from Stevens high school Darryl Hemphill, and his father. 

But one special woman also made the cut.

"I invited so many male people in my life cause I knew it would mean a lot to them but I couldn't leave my mom out," Davenport said. "I know that I made her proud especially by graduating and I'm just happy to keep on making her proud."

Among the men in Davenport's pack is coach Frank Wilson. Davenport says Wilson "sold him on a dream," and made him "believe in himself."

"They mean a lot to me and I'm just happy I could spend this time with them. And let them enjoy it too," Davenport said about how it feels to have his closest mentors, friends, and family with him for this big moment.

As for him himself, the former roadrunner feels "ready to take this big step."

And a for that nice suit and tie mentioned above, you can find Davenport sporting a mix of royal blue and black tonight on the red carpet.

"I had to have help (picking it out)," Davenport said, "I didn't have those color schemes in my head, I was gonna go straight red," he said with a laugh.

The first round of the NFL draft starts tonight at 7 p.m.