PITTSBURGH (AP) 鈥� Kayden McDonald and Colton Hood spent three long hours in the green room inside Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night all dressed up with nowhere to go.
The players remained backstage while the 15 other prospects in attendance made their way to the stage to hug NFL Commissioner after being selected in the first round.
McDonald and Hood’s time would have to wait until Friday, though not for very long.
The selected McDonald, the burly 6-foot-3, 326-pound defensive tackle from Ohio State with the fourth pick of the second round. Hood, a cornerback from Tennessee, went to the with the next selection.
McDonald chose to return to the green room on Friday, though this time he had traded the suit he had on Thursday while walking the red carpet for a far more casual fit. Wearing a black short-sleeved button down shirt, a white T-shirt and a chain, McDonald was visibly shaken as he made the slightly delayed talk toward Goodell.
The commissioner and McDonald embraced for a long moment, the tears streaking down McDonald’s face hard to miss.
鈥淚t鈥檚 emotional man,鈥� McDonald said. 鈥淚 knew I鈥檓 supposed to be here. I鈥檓 just so blessed.鈥�
McDonald added he’s blessed to join the Texans, who finished last season with the NFL’s top-ranked defense and bludgeoned the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round of the playoffs.
Asked what he can add to a unit that’s already among the league’s best, McDonald didn’t hesitate.
鈥淒isruptive, making it easier for the (defensive) end,鈥� McDonald said. 鈥淲e all go to work.鈥�
While McDonald stuck around, Hood did not, opting to head home to Atlanta instead, where Hood said he felt more comfortable because he could be surrounded by even more friends and family.
When Hood’s name was called by Goodell, who had former Giants star defensive end Osi Umenyiora at his side, the videoboard behind them merely flashed a picture of Hood wearing Tennessee orange.
鈥淲ay to go Colton,鈥� Goodell said before retreating backstage before the next selection.
The distance between the epicenter of the NFL universe this weekend and Atlanta did little to dampen the joy Hood felt when a lifelong dream was realized.
While sitting around on Thursday was disappointing, Hood doesn’t view having to wait an additional 24 hours as a bad thing.
鈥淚 know God does everything for a reason,鈥� he said. “He was probably preventing me from something, or he has something better in store for me and that being the Giants.鈥�
Hood admitted he was a little surprised he heard from New York. Maybe he shouldn’t have been. First-year Giants coach John Harbaugh coached Hood’s uncle, former NFL defensive back Roderick Hood, when both were in Philadelphia in the early 2000s.
If anything, what happened on Thursday night just added a significantly large chip to Hood’s shoulder.
Asked if the perceived first-round snub is motivation, Hood said “for sure, but I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 more just wanting to prove the Giants right and just thanking them for taking the chance on me.鈥�
___
AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
