It was just before 2:45 p.m. in Clearwater, Florida, when Jeremiah George got the call from the New York Jets that changed his life.

“It was a great moment. I instantly started screaming, ‘I am going to be a Jet! I am going to be a Jet!'” George said. “It was even better because I was around my family and friends and it was something we got to embrace together.”

George, a former ISU inside-linebacker and team captain, was selected by the New York Jets as the 154th pick in the 2014 NFL draft. Despite most draft analysts projecting that George would be picked, he said it was still a surprise to hear his name called in the fifth round on the ESPN broadcast.

“It was definitely a surprise because there is so much you are unaware of,” George said. “There were some teams that had a fifth-round grade on me and there were some that had a seventh round or undrafted-priority-free-agent grade on me, so there was not anything I was sure of 100 percent.”

George said that as the fourth and fifth rounds approached, the anticipation in his camp began to grow because some other inside-linebackers were being selected, and everyone knew his time was coming.

George described what was perhaps the most special moment for him after he received the life-altering news.

“My best friend, Okaro White, just graduated and finished a very good basketball career at Florida State University,” George said. “We shared a moment [afterward] where we just hugged and cried. A lot of my other good friends were around, and it was all just really special.”

George said that as great as the moment was, he does not have the luxury of reveling in it for too long as it is time to get back to work.

“I will fly out [May 12] and the first practice is [May 15],” George said. “Right now, my focus is just getting there more than anything and starting to play football … because it has been quite a while.”

Rex Ryan, George’s new head coach, is a lauded defensive mind in the NFL and someone George said he cannot wait to learn from.

“Throughout my high school and collegiate careers, I have had some pretty good defensive-minded coaches,” George said. “Now, as I have grown older and understand a little more about defense, I can appreciate a lot more getting to learn and getting to be part of a Rex Ryan system. It is amazing.”

George said his transition to the NFL will be smoother because he will be reunited with former ISU teammate, cornerback Jeremy Reeves, who was signed by the Jets in late March after a pro-day workout.

Former ISU running back Jeff Woody, who played with George all four years, said George and Reeves together bodes very well for the Jets. He added that he is confident George will succeed at the professional level for a multitude of reasons.

“His work ethic is contagious. His unrelenting desire to succeed is something that rubs off on everyone,” Woody said in an email. “He is one of the most intense competitors I have ever seen. The guy will not lose at anything.”

George said the bright lights and the intensified media scrutiny of playing in New York City does not concern him and will not serve as distractions.

“I have never been a guy who has gotten caught up with the media,” George said. “I am more excited about the possibilities of working with great coaches and a great organization.”

Those possibilities begin by making the team through the initial rounds of cuts, which George said is now his primary focus.

“I want to get better as a football player as a whole,” George said. “There is going to be talent there, a lot of really good football players, so my first priority is making the 53-man roster and contributing on special teams every single day.”

George said after he accomplishes that goal, his only concern will be competing at a high level. The rest will take care of itself.

“This is not something that just happens every day and this is not something that was handed to me,” George said. “I have worked very hard for it as far as in the film room, in the weight room and on the field, and I think that will only continue to grow.

“I will work even harder in the film room [to] learn a whole new system and I will work harder in the weight room because I have to get a lot stronger. There are so many things that I am going to continue to do to help myself and the New York Jets football team.”