BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Jordan love is about to the be the next in line from a very long line of Bakersfield athletes to hear his name called in the NFL draft.
A surreal moment, but one he’ll be able to share with the fellow elite from the 661.
The most recent one to get that call was Independence grad DJ Reed,current free safety for the San Francisco 49ers. Who can clearly recalled his emotions from his draft day in 2018.
"So once I got the phone call, talking to John Lynch and Coach Shanahan. You know the emotion just came out of me and i was crying. It was just a great time i was with my family. And yeah, it was probably the best experience that I've had so far," Reed said.
Next up, and likely in the first round, will be Liberty’s Jordan Love.
"It's crazy thing like I was so smaller so underlooked and what not, to actually think that I'm here right now it’s crazy," Love said.
Personal trainer to many Bakersfield stars Eric Mahanke saw that growth and always saw Love’s killer instinct.
"Even if we’re ro sham beauxing, he’d find a way to win and that’s what you want in a quarterback for your franchise, is that you want winners," Mahanke said.
While competition has always felt normal being a part of the league may take some getting used to.
"You see some coaches are watching whole life and I’m like, ‘Oh’, and for me it's just like just to stay cool, stay cool don’t say anything crazy," Love said.
His fellow Bakersfield native has some advice to handling it all.
"Just keep doing what you do. Keep working and have fun and stay focus during the moment. Just take it in. That's, that's really all kind of where we started and it's special," Reed said.
