Leonard Johnson watched anxiously as each team in last week’s NFL Draft made a selection.

Round by round, Johnson’s name remained on the board for the entire duration of the draft, a feeling he would like to forget.

“Quote,” Johnson said.

Johnson, a four-year starter for the ISU football team, was expected to be drafted after former offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, who was taken by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round with the 60th overall pick.

“I was pretty surprised,” said Jacob Lattimer of Johnson not getting drafted. “After we heard [Kelechi Osemele get drafted], we got pretty excited and we were kind of getting anxious for LJ. When I didn’t hear his name called I was kind of getting nervous for him.”

Shortly after the final pick was announced, Johnson received a call from …, wanting him to sign as an undrafted free agent for his hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Johnson …, making him the first of three former Cyclones from this past year’s team to sign as an undrafted free agent for an NFL squad.

Offensive lineman Hayworth Hicks said he began receiving calls from teams to sign with them as an undrafted free agent within 30 minutes after the draft had concluded.

After receiving offers from five different teams, Hicks chose to sign with the Indianapolis Colts. He told The Daily “it was the best setup,” but did not disclose any further details.

Lattimer, a former linebacker-turned-defensive end for the Cyclones, said he stayed in contact with multiple teams during the draft before not hearing his name called as well. He said he did not hear back from any of the teams until Tuesday, when the Green Bay Packers offered him the opportunity to try out.

“They assumed I had signed with someone, but I told them that I hadn’t,” Lattimer said. “They were surprised I hadn’t signed with anybody and then they offered me a tryout.”

Lattimer was no stranger to trouble, having been arrested multiple times both before and after arriving to Iowa State. That past, Lattimer said, may have affected his draft stock.

“Being a repeat offender, they look down upon that,” Lattimer said. “They weren’t extremely bad things, but anything [like that] is bad. I think in a way it could have hurt me, but there have been guys that have done way worse.

“I’ll never know and no one will ever know besides the guys in the NFL making the decisions.”