TALLAHASSEE, Fla. _ Florida State standout safety Derwin James' lifelong dream has been realized.
But he surely took an unexpected tumble before being selected in the 2018 NFL draft.
James was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 17 overall pick on Thursday night.
James donned a garnet jacket with black lapel and black dress shirt with a gold chain. He was accompanied by his mother on the red carpet outside AT&T Stadium.
A freakish defensive back who frequently lined up as an outside linebacker and edge rusher in two seasons for the Seminoles, James will aspire to be a building block for the Chargers defense for years to come.
"I feel like 16 other teams tried me," James said in an interview with Deion Sanders following the pick, "but I'm ready to go to work."
The NFL draft was filled with drama with the first 10 picks, with added drama for James, who saw teams that seemed to be ideal fits for him draft other players.
The Browns selected Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward with the first and fourth overall picks.
The Giants took Penn State running back Saquan Barkley at No. 2 overall, followed by the Jets selecting USC quarterback Sam Darnold.
Buffalo traded with Tampa Bay from No. 12 to take Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen seventh overall, while UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen was taken 10th by the Cardinals after a trade with the Raiders.
A number of teams like the 49ers, Dolphins Buccaneers, Redskins and Raiders could have been fits for James, but he fell to the Chargers.
Despite playing in only 27 games during his college career after missing the majority of his sophomore season to a meniscus tear in his left knee, James became the second top-10 pick out of Florida State in the last three drafts, joining Jaguars fifth overall pick Jalen Ramsey in 2016.
James showed no ill-effects in his return from injury last season, leading FSU with 11 pass deflections, and finishing second on the team with 85 total tackles. He also had two interceptions, including a pick-six touchdown, with 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a blocked kick that sealed FSU's win over Syracuse.
James entered his junior season with high expectations after being named Sports Illustrated's No. 1 player in the country, despite missing time due to injury.
The top billing came with expectations he could live up to his All-American freshman season, where he totaled 91 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, two fumbles forced and two fumble recoveries in 2015.
Now, James becomes another standout player to enter the NFL in Florida State history.
James, the 44th first-round pick in FSU history, became the sixth Seminoles defensive back drafted in the first two rounds since 2010.
James' selection also marks the fifth time in the last six drafts a FSU player has been selected in the first round of the NFL draft.
