Ryan Clady Transcripts

Offensive tackle Ryan Clady speaks to the media after being selected as the Denver Broncos number one pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Check out the full transcripts...

BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY OT RYAN CLADY CONFERENCE CALL (Rd. 1 – 12th overall)
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2008

On whether he expected the Broncos to select him
“Yeah, I knew the Broncos were interested in picking me up. I thought there was a good chance, and I wasn’t all that surprised when they called.”

On his expectations as a rookie
“Right away, I just want to learn the system. I want to play well and I want to be a starter. Everyone wants to be a Pro-Bowler and to win a couple Super Bowls.”

On being taken by the Broncos in the first round of the draft
“I came in and I visited. Being drafted in the first round is a terrific thing, and I should be able to make an immediate impact right away.”

On the Broncos’ blocking system being similar to what he played in at Boise State
“I think it will help me a lot. It is the same type of system and I have been in the system for four years, and I have gotten to know it well. I am on the fast track for learning and getting on the field a little faster because I know the system.”

On rookie tackles going through the “school of hard knocks”
“I definitely think so. It is definitely a hard position to play, but I am ready to go and I am up for the challenge.”

On his impression of the Broncos and their coaching staff when he visited
“I loved them. It was really mellow and they were all real good guys. I was very comfortable. I came there last Sunday, and I was the only person there and it felt real cool. I remember feeling comfortable around the coaches.”

On being a defensive lineman in high school and moving to the offensive line in college
“Both of the schools recruiting me recruited me as an offensive lineman. I was expecting to play there, and a lot of people said I had a bright future as an offensive lineman so I went with it and it turned out to be a good fit for me. It worked out for the best.”

On playing for a team named the Broncos in college and a team named the Broncos in the NFL
“I have been saying for the past few weeks that it would be nice to still be a Bronco.”

On developing good feet
“I played a lot of basketball when I was younger and growing up, and that may of helped me out. In high school we did a lot of footwork drills. When I was there for the visit, (Head) Coach (Mike) Shanahan asked me that and I told him I didn’t know.”

On his health
“I feel good right now, I feel 100 percent.”

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* - Clady was the second offensive lineman taken in the 2008 NFL Draft. Miami selected Michigan T Jake Long with the draft's first overall pick.

* - Clady is the 33rd first round draft choice selected by the Broncos in the common draft era (since 1967) and is the second player in club history taken with the 12th overall pick. USC T Marv Montgomery was taken at that spot in 1971.

* - Clady also ties Montgomery as the second-highest offensive lineman and ninth-highest overall player drafted by the Broncos in club history. The highest Denver has taken an offensive lineman in the NFL Draft is fourth overall (Northwestern G Chris Hinton, 1983).

* - Other players drafted at No. 12 overall in NFL history include LB Shawne Merriman (2005, S.D.), DT Warren Sapp (1997, T.B.) and LB Clay Matthews (1978, Cle.).

* - Clady's selection marks the sixth consecutive season and the 14th time in the last 15 years that the Broncos selected an offensive lineman in the NFL Draft.

* - Clady is the sixth tackle and 17th offensive lineman taken by the Broncos in the NFL Draft under Head Coach Mike Shanahan (1995-Pres.). His selection marks the second consecutive year Denver took a tackle in the draft with the club having selected Notre Dame T Ryan Harris in the third round (70th overall) last season.

* - Clady is the fourth overall player and first offensive lineman from Boise State chosen by the Broncos in the NFL Draft. The last time Denver selected a Boise State player in the draft was in 2002 when it took TE Jeb Putzier in the sixth round (191st overall).

* - Clady is the highest player from Boise State ever taken in the common NFL Draft (since 1967). DE Markus Koch, who was taken in the second round (30th overall) by Washington in the 1986 NFL Draft, previously held that honor.

* - Clady's selection marks the fifth time a Boise State offensive lineman was taken in the common draft era. He also extends the school's streak of having at least one player drafted to three consecutive seasons.

* - Clady's selection makes him the third player from a current Western Athletic Conference (WAC) school drafted by the Broncos since 1995.

* - Clady's selection marks the seventh consecutive Broncos draft pick used on a lineman (offensive or defensive), a streak that dates back to North Dakota G Chris Kuper's selection in the fifth round (161st overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.

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