ÿTyson Smith will join Cyclone defender Ellis Hobbs in the NFL after all.

Smith signed a free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night following the conclusion of the NFL Draft. He said throughout the draft he didn’t receive any phone calls, so he became anxious.

“Around 6 o’clock I called my agent after the draft and he was on the phone with Ravens,” Smith said.

“So he was like, ‘I’ll give you a call back.’ After that he called me back, and said I had a deal with them and it was probably the best place for me to make the team.”

Smith’s audition with the Ravens begins on Thursday when he attends the team’s mini-camp. He said he’ll probably have the opportunity to play a couple of different defensive positions.

“Right now, I’ll be outside linebacker, but I’m sure they’ll probably use me in certain situations at the defensive end,” Smith said.

The Ravens boast one of the top defenses in the American Football Conference, ranking fourth. Leading the charge is All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, whom Smith said he is eager to learn from.

“He and Ed Reed are probably the two best defensive players in the league,” Smith said. “It will be an honor to learn from them. It will help me get better and faster because they expect so much from everyone.

“I’m real excited about going out there.”

Smith played defensive end for the Cyclones before switching to linebacker. During the 2002 season, Smith had 104 tackles, six sacks and 22 quarterback hurries.

After suffering a broken leg in the 2003 season opener, Smith moved to linebacker during spring practice but switched back to the defensive line for the 2004 season, where he registered 51 tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception for the ISU football team.

“Just for him to get an opportunity is great,” said ISU coach Dan McCarney.

“It was one of the most devastating injuries I’ve seen in all my years of football.

“For him to not only come back from that injury but to play the way he did, I’m really happy for him.”

Smith is the second Cyclone to land with an NFL team this year, following Hobbs who was drafted in the third round.

“Words can’t express the pride and appreciation I have for Ellis Hobbs,” McCarney said.

“He has a phenomenal opportunity going from a bowl championship team in college to a Super Bowl champion team in the NFL. I’m thrilled for him. He’s earned it.”

McCarney said Hobbs put himself into the draft with his play as a senior.

In his final campaign, Hobbs recorded 71 tackles to finish third on the team in that category. He had five interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Teams talked to McCarney and his staff about Cyclone players in the draft, with ISU coaches serving as character references, McCarney said.

“They can see on tape what they want to see, [but they want to know] about work ethic, accountability, trust and character,” he said. “That’s the NFL checklist, and it was very easy talking about Ellis Hobbs and what kind of leader and man he is.”

— Grant Wall contributed to this article.