Through 191 picks in the 2014 NFL draft, four UCLA football players had been selected. Jordan Zumwalt was not among them.
The senior linebacker watched as teammates Anthony Barr, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Cassius Marsh and Shaq Evans found their NFL homes. For Zumwalt, who was projected to be drafted as early as the fourth round, the day produced a roller coaster of emotions.
“Anxious, anxious, anxious,” said Zumwalt of the draft process. “(It was) really aggravating at some points and really exciting at others.”
The wait finally came to an end with a phone call from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected Zumwalt with the 16th pick in the sixth round. Surrounded by a jubilant family, Zumwalt expressed the same fire and emotion he displays on the field when talking about how it felt to finally see his name called.
“I’m pretty damn excited. I feel so relieved, I feel like somebody just lifted some weight off my shoulders,” said Zumwalt. “My head is still spinning a little bit, man”.
When the dust settles, Zumwalt will head to Pittsburgh, which had a lot of contact with him leading up to the draft according to the linebacker, including a pre-draft visit. Zumwalt said that he expects to contribute at linebacker and on special teams in his first year in the Steel City.
In Zumwalt, the Steelers get a smart, versatile linebacker, who has been lauded for his competitiveness. Zumwalt was highly productive during his time at UCLA, which included a 10-tackle, one-interception performance in the 2013 Sun Bowl against Virginia Tech. He was also a main component of a linebacking corps considered among the best in the nation a year ago and now heads to an NFL franchise known for its defense.
Now that the wait is finally over and the grueling process behind him, Zumwalt can focus on football. When asked what the Steelers are getting from the now former Bruin, Zumwalt displayed the confidence he was known for in Westwood:
“A baller, you already know. They are getting a force man, that’s for sure.”
Compiled by Jordan Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.