Gilkey returned to Chadron

Garrett Gilkey, offensive line for the Cleveland Browns, was back in Chadron, Sunday, to sign autographs and take pictures. He is the third Chadron State College football player to be drafted for the NFL. Gilkey is a Special Education major because he wants a career that allows him to work with children, he said.

Gilkey was the 227th pick in round seven of the 2013 NFL Draft.

When asked about his reaction to being drafted, he said, “Draft day was intense. It was the best, worst day of my life. It was a euphoric experience.”

He went on to say that he feels honored to have been given the opportunity to be part of such an elite organization.

However, it is not all fun and games in the NFL.

“It is a job,” said Gilkey. “I am loyal to my team, and the organization, and my fans, but at the end of the day it is just like any other job. I go to work everyday and I work hard.”

“The difference in team atmosphere between the Chadron State Eagles and the Cleveland Browns is much different,” Gilkey said. “The Browns are professionals, and many of them have families. Our interactions are professional, and we are less collaborative, but when we are all in the locker room, we are all still just a bunch of guys.”

Gilkey hails from a small town named Sandwich, Ill., near Chicago. Gilkey wasn’t recruited by any Division I school out of high school, but Chadron State College and former coach Bill O’Boyle recruited him.

“I liked the idea of going to school in the middle of nowhere,” said Gilkey. At the time of Gilkey’s recruitment, Chadron was second in the nation.