Omon drafted by Buffalo

Trying to keep his mind off what was taking place in New York at the National Football League Draft Sunday afternoon, Xavier Omon was shooting hoops when the call he’d been waiting for most of his life finally came.

Omon was selected with the 13th pick in the sixth round of the draft Sunday by the Buffalo Bills, the 179th pick overall.

“There’s been so much stuff going on and now, finally, it’s over,” Omon said.

Earlier Sunday, Omon said he went miniature golfing to take his mind off the draft.

When he found himself still waiting, he decided to head to the basketball court.

“I’d taken two shots when the phone call came,” Omon said.

When word of his selection finally arrived, Omon said it brought him to his knees.

“Then I took off running,” Omon said.

Bills’ running back coach Eric Studesville, who is in his fifth year with the team, made the call to Omon.

According to a release from the Bills, Studesville said Omon was “a man among boys” in the Northwest Missouri State games he watched on film.

Studesville said Omon “dominated” at the NCAA Division II level.

“We think he’s a talented guy,” Studesville said. “He’s a physical guy that plays hard and tough.”

Studesville said Omon is a “decisive cutter” and a “big guy” at 5-11, 228 pounds.

Omon had said before the start of the draft he didn’t care which team he ended up with, he just wanted the chance to play professional football.

He still felt that way Sunday.

“It a great feeling, just to be in the NFL, period,” Omon said.

Omon said he’s honored the Bills were willing to give him an opportunity.

“Now, I get to go play for them and prove the 31 teams wrong that didn’t pick me and give me that opportunity,” Omon said.

Proving people wrong is something he’s been doing most of his life, Omon added.

Coming out of high school at Beatrice, Omon said people thought he wasn’t good enough to play at the Division I level.

At Northwest Missouri State, Omon said he always heard about being “behind” other backs like former Pittsburg State back Germaine Race or Chadron State’s Danny Woodhead, who Omon battled head-to-head on the football field the past several years.

Race graduated from Pittsburg State in 2006 and is on the San Diego Chargers roster, while Woodhead was undrafted Sunday, but signed a free-agent contract with the New York Jets.

While Race and Woodhead both had stellar careers at the Division II level, Omon put up some pretty good numbers of his own.

By the time Omon ended his collegiate career last fall, he was the only running back in NCAA history, regardless of division, to rush for 1,500 yard four straight seasons.

Following his senior season, Omon was named to the first-team of every major Division II All-America team, while he was also the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association Offensive Player of the year.

Omon is the second NCAA Division II athlete to rush for 7,000-plus yards in his career. He finished as the third-leading scorer in NCAA history and the third-leading rusher in NCAA history.

At Northwest, he holds 32 of 34 rushing and scoring season, career and postseason records.

Those numbers helped make some people believers in Omon, apparently, including some in the Buffalo Bills organization.

“People have been doubting me my whole career and now I get the opportunity to prove myself all over again,” Omon said. “It’s a great opportunity for me.”

Prior to the draft, Omon said he didn’t have a lot of contact with the Bills and was a little surprised when the call came from the Buffalo coach.

“They just came out of nowhere,” Omon said.

Omon did remember Studesville from the NFL combine, which he participated in during February in Indianapolis.

“He (Studesville) was running the drills at the combine,” Omon said.

Omon was the Bills’ seventh of 10 draft selections and the only running back taken by the Buffalo franchise.

“Hopefully, that means they’re serious about me and they’re going to give me a chance,” Omon said.

While Buffalo has five running backs on its roster, the Bills had one featured back in Marshawn Lynch, who had 280 carries in 2007. The back with the next most carries had 58.

Sunday afternoon, Omon said he didn’t know much about the Bills’ running back situation or, for that matter, much else about the team.

“I just know I’m happy to be a Buffalo Bill,” Omon said.

In 2007, playing in the AFC East, the Bills finished second behind the New England Patriots.

The Patriots finished the regular-season 16-0, while Buffalo, coached by Dick Jauron, had a 7-9 record.

The New York Jets were third in the AFC East at 4-12 and Miami was fourth at 1-15.

Omon said he’ll head to Buffalo later in the week to learn what’s expected of him.