Mike Pollak sat in his parents' Chandler home on Saturday, glued to the TV.
Family surrounded the 301-pounder, knowing that at any moment Pollak's life was to change forever.
But after five hours, the former ASU center still hadn't heard the talking heads on ESPN call his name.
Then, at about 5:30 p.m., Pollak heard the words he has been dreaming of his whole life:
"With the 59th pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts select Mike Pollak, center from Arizona State."
"It was sort of a surprise to me because I didn't think I was going to get picked up by the Colts. I hadn't talked to them very much," Pollak said. "But to be able to go to such a prestigious team that is doing so well now, I mean, I couldn't have asked for a better team to fall to."
Prior to the draft, Pollak was projected as a second-rounder, but even as the day wore on and he hadn't been selected, Pollak was never nervous.
"There were a couple of teams that I thought were going to pick me and didn't, so toward the end of the second round I just thought I was going to go in the third round," he said. "So right before the Colts called, I was really relaxed and just winding down because I figured I wasn't going to get picked up that day."
Indianapolis already has one of the league's top centers in Jeff Saturday, so Pollak will be moved to guard where he will compete for a starting spot.
But for now, Pollak doesn't see himself as an NFL player yet. That feeling won't sink in, he said, until he flies to Indianapolis next week and dons the blue and white for the first time.
"This whole thing has just been amazing," Pollak said.
While Pollak was the only Sun Devils selected on Saturday, four of his former teammates saw their dreams of becoming NFL players realized on Sunday.
For running back Ryan Torain, hearing his name announced 139th overall (fourth pick, fifth round) was "the most exciting moment of my life."
"I was sitting there watching with my family and the Broncos were up," Torain said. "Then all of a sudden, I got a call from a 303 area code and I thought, 'Wow, this could be it.' Sure enough, when I answered my phone, they were asking me if I wanted to be a Denver Bronco."
Although Torain said he was just excited to get drafted, he did acknowledge that he would have been selected higher had he not suffered a season-ending foot injury in October.
"[The injury] impacted me a lot and took me down a couple of rounds," said Torain, who was projected as first or second-rounder before the injury. "But that doesn't matter. I made it to the league, and I'm on a great football team."
Torain now finds himself in an ideal situation for a young running back, on a Denver team known for its strong ground game.
And Torain isn't just satisfied with getting drafted, he wants to have an impact in the NFL.
"I like my chances of playing in Denver, and I would have liked them anywhere I got drafted," he said. "I'm always a threat to make an impact because I have confidence in myself."
Cornerback Justin Tryon was the first former Sun Devil taken off the board Sunday; he was selected by the Washington Redskins with the 25th pick of the fourth round (124th overall).
As the draft progressed and teams kept making their selections, Tryon said never got nervous. He was with his family, trying to stay as calm as possible, but he admitted that with every passing pick he was becoming more and more anxious.
"I was just wondering who was going to draft me and when," Tryon said Sunday. "This was a long day of just waiting and waiting to hear my name called."
As the day wore on, Tryon had no idea where he was headed and didn't think he would end up in Washington. The Redskins only contacted him once before the draft, and that conversation was very brief, so when Washington called him, Tryon was pretty surprised.
"That was a big shock, but I'm excited about this opportunity," Tryon said. "They have a real good defense."
And as far as his chances on playing a role on that "real good" defense next year, Tryon likes where he stands.
"I think my odds [of getting playing time] are real great," he said. "I'm going to go in there and do my best, and hopefully I'll see some time at nickel."
After Tryon, the next ASU product taken was linebacker Robert James, who went to Atlanta as the 138th overall pick — one spot ahead of Torain.
James led ASU with 106 tackles last season to go along with 2 1/2 sacks and four interceptions.
The last Sun Devil selected was safety Josh Barrett, who will join Torain in Denver.
Barrett was the 13th player selected in the seventh and final round of the NFL draft.
Barrett started in 27 games for ASU but missed the final two games of his collegiate career — against UA and Texas in the Holiday Bowl — because of a sprained knee.
Notable former Sun Devils not selected during the weekend include wide receiver Rudy Burgess, defensive tackle Michael Marquardt and tight end Brent Miller. Former Nebraska quarterback and one-time Sun Devil Sam Keller was also not drafted.
Reach the reporter at: samuel.good@asu.edu.
