UNH's Dylan Laube: Getting drafted by Las Vegas Raiders hasn't 'sunk in yet'

Dylan Laube said this past Saturday was stressful, chaotic, insane and wild, but the former University of New Hampshire football standout also called it the best day of his life.

Surrounded by his family and friends at his Long Island, New York, home, Laube’s dream was realized as the Las Vegas Raiders selected him in the sixth round of this year’s NFL Draft.

“I don’t think it really has sunk in yet,” said Laube, who was the 32nd pick of the sixth round (208th overall). “This whole weekend we had a bunch of family and friends over. It was non-stop. I really haven’t been able to decompress the whole situation.”

Laube, who visited Las Vegas once when he was a kid, said it was a surreal day. He had UNH team highs in several categories last fall, including rushing yards (749), receiving yards (699), receptions (68), rushing touchdowns (nine), receiving touchdowns (seven), and total touchdowns (18), finished his career with 45 touchdowns. Now he gets a chance to see how those skills translate to the professional game.

“Coming from a small town on Long Island to UNH, and now I am going to Vegas, man,” Laube said. “It’s going to be so cool. I have so many people backing me up. It’s been such a long journey, and now we’re starting a new chapter. It’s going to be a fun ride.”

What happens now for Dylan Laube

Laube will arrive in Las Vegas on Thursday, May 9 and rookie camp begins the following day.

“Now, it’s time to get back to work,” Laube said. “Nothing is guaranteed, especially in the NFL. I got drafted in the sixth round, I wasn’t drafed in the first round. I still have to make the team, I still have that chip on my shoulder.”

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Laube plans on being in Las Vegas for five weeks, and then head to Florida to continue training. After rookie camp, there are nine days of OTA (organized team activities) followed by a three-day mandatory mini-camp from June 11-13.

Laube expects to sign a contract within the next month.

“I am focused on making a name for myself and all the contract stuff will come after,” Laube said. “Right now I am focused on gettin back on the field, and doing what I love.”

Dylan Laube's NFL Draft timeline

The NFL Draft started Thursday with the first round, and the following two rounds were Friday, and the final four rounds were Saturday, starting at noon.

“It was a long five hours (on Saturday),” Laube said. “From 12 to 5, it was so stressful. It was wild.”

Laube got a call from the Raiders around 5:20, about five minutes before it was their turn to pick. If Laube wasn’t drafted in the next two picks, he was told, he was going to be selected by the Raiders.

“When I got that call, it was wild,” Laube said. “It was best feeling I’ve ever had in my life; for me, my family, and everyone there, it was such a special time. It was an insane day, such a cool moment for me and my family.”

Interest from Raiders

Laube spoke with all 32 NFL teams when he was at the Senior Bowl in early February. That 10-minute conversation with the Raiders was the only conversation he had with the team going into the draft.

“I barely even talked to them,” Laube said. “I talked to them for about 10 minutes about my character and who I was as a person.”

Being selected by ‘iconic’ franchise

The Raiders franchise, which also had stints in Los Angeles and Oakland, has played in four Super Bowls, winning three. The most recent was in 1983, a 38-9 win over the Washington Redskins.

“Raider Nation is unbelievable,” Laube said. “From John Madden to Bo Jackson, to Marcus Allen and all those greats. There is only a few iconic teams in the NFL, and the silver and black is definitely one of them.”

Laube feels his skillset fits “perfect” with the Raiders.

“They have a great group of backs with a lot of veterans and bigger backs,” said the 5-foot-7, 207-pound Laube. “I think what I bring to the team is a lot different, especially on special teams and being that third down back.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dylan Laube on being drafted by Las Vegas Raiders and what's next