NFL Player Gets Drafted While Playing Golf in Iowa
Kaden Wetjen was casually golfing with his girlfriend when the Pittsburgh Steelers called to tell him he was their fourth-round draft pick. He took the call on the eighth hole, wedge in hand, turning an ordinary Saturday into an unforgettable moment.
Most NFL prospects spend draft day glued to their phones, surrounded by family and cameras, waiting for the call that changes everything. Kaden Wetjen was on hole eight with a wedge in his hand.
The former Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver was playing a casual round at Stone Creek Golf Club near campus with his girlfriend Rachel Bierman and friends when his phone rang. The Pittsburgh Steelers were on the line with news: they were taking him with the 121st overall pick in the fourth round.
Bierman caught the whole thing on video. Wetjen stood near the green, still holding his wedge, as he took the most important call of his life like it was just another Saturday afternoon.
"Hole 8, Round 4, Pick 121, a moment we will remember forever," Bierman wrote when she posted the moment online.
The group paused their round and pulled up a livestream to watch the pick become official. "I didn't shank it into the pond after I got picked so everything's going good," Wetjen joked afterward.
Sunny's Take
What makes this story special isn't just the unexpected setting. It's Wetjen's entire journey to that phone call.
He started at Iowa Western Community College before transferring to Iowa in 2022. His receiving stats were modest, just 23 catches for 197 yards in his FBS career. But he found his calling on special teams.
In 2024, Wetjen led the entire nation with 727 kick return yards and took both a kickoff and a punt back for touchdowns. His final season was even better: he led the country in punt return yards with 563, averaged 26.8 yards per return, and scored three punt return touchdowns.
By the time he left Iowa, Wetjen had racked up 1,538 kick return yards, 954 punt return yards, and six total return touchdowns.
"He plays the game fearlessly, but he plays it smart," Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said. "Our top rated dual return player, and in this new dynamic kickoff age of the National Football League, to have a guy that's in our opinion very good at both, we think it's going to be a major addition."
As for finishing that golf round? Not a chance. "No, we're going back to party now!" Wetjen told reporters.
Sometimes the best moments in life catch you exactly where you are, not where you think you're supposed to be.
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Based on reporting by Fox News Latest Headlines (all sections)
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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