Jalin Hyatt: 3 things to know about Giants' WR pick in 2023 NFL Draft

The New York Giants selected Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt with the No. 73 overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Here are three things to know about Hyatt.

He was spurned by his hometown school

Hyatt grew up about 17 miles from Williams-Brice Stadium on the campus of the University of South Carolina. Naturally he attended games there as a kid, and he even played there twice when he led Dutch Fork High to back-to-back South Carolina state championships. He often envisioned himself playing for the Gamecocks, but it didn’t happen. They never even offered a scholarship, so he wound up at Tennessee.

“It sucked not getting an offer from your hometown school because I feel like they should be the first ones to offer,” Hyatt told ESPN.com. “But they never did, and I know why. Things work out the way they’re supposed to and I’m glad they thought I was too small. It helped lead me here (to Tennessee) and look at what all I would have missed.”

Beating Alabama in 2022 was the highlight of his career

Last year, the Vols beat the Crimson Tide for the first time since 2006 and Hyatt was a major reason why in the thrilling 52-49 game. He caught six passes for 207 yards and four touchdowns, then watched with glee as the fans flooded onto the field.

“Just seeing the crowd storm the field against ‘Bama after the game, that’s probably the biggest moment,” he said. “It took me a little moment to get off the field because everybody was storming the field.”

He shared some of the perks of his NIL deal

Name, Image and Likeness is a very big deal in the world of big-time college football and basketball. Hyatt cut a deal, not surprising, with Hyatt Hotels and allowed him to provide gift cards for each of his teammates to give to their family members so they could attend the 2023 Orange Bowl in Miami.

“The World of Hyatt team gave me the ability to create a deal that benefited my teammates and our families,” Hyatt said. “That’s real, as those are the people I care about the most. Knowing my teammates’ families will all have help to be at the game, and that they are being cared for on the road is amazing.”

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which will come out every Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Jalin Hyatt: Meet NY Giants pick at WR in 2023 NFL Draft