Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs rolls out red carpet for mom on front lawn ahead of virtual NFL draft
Iowa lineman Tristan Wirfs, along with every other top prospect, had expected to walk the red carpet in Las Vegas with his family on Thursday before the NFL draft.
The COVID-19 pandemic, however, ruined those plans.
The coronavirus forced the league to conduct the draft virtually instead. Players will instead be at their respective homes while commissioner Roger Goodell runs the draft out of his basement.
Wirfs, though, wasn’t going to let that ruin the festivities with his family.
Before the draft on Thursday afternoon, Wirfs rolled out a red carpet on his mom’s front lawn in Mount Vernon, Iowa — giving her the moment she deserved.
Tristan Wirfs (@TristanWirfs74) and his mom would be in Las Vegas for tonight's draft, but because it's virtual, they did what they could to still make it a special night, including a red carpet. pic.twitter.com/rRannNUitQ
— Josh Christensen (@jchristensenTV9) April 23, 2020
Wirfs shined for the Hawkeyes last season, earning second-team Associated Press All-American honors and was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. The 21-year-old was widely considered one of the top offensive lineman available in the draft, and was Yahoo Sports’ Eric Edholm’s No. 10 overall prospect.
Wirfs was selected with the No. 13 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who traded up one slot with the San Francisco 49ers, making him the fifth offensive lineman off the board.
While it wasn’t the red carpet on the Las Vegas Strip they expected, the gesture was incredible nonetheless — and one his mom likely won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
More from Yahoo Sports:
