Lethbridge football player Tanner McLachlan drafted by the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals
Years of hard work paid off for Tanner McLachlan after he heard his name called at the NFL draft last Saturday.
The Bengals picked the 25-year-old tight end in the sixth round with the 194th overall pick.
That made McLachlan the first ever player from Lethbridge to be drafted by an NFL team.
On Wednesday over 100 people packed in the gym at McLachlan’s old high school, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, to celebrate McLachlan’s accomplishment.
“It's a blessing. (I'm just) super grateful to represent southern Alberta and all the people here," said McLachlan. "I hope i keep making people proud and just keep doing my thing,”
McLachlan finished his high school career as LCI's all time reception leader.
He started his college career at Southern Utah University before transferring to the University of Arizona.
He finished his career as Arizona’s all-time reception leader for a tight end, beating the record held by Rob Gronkowski.
A strong redshirt senior year helped convince the Bengals to spend a sixth round pick on McLachlan.
It's been a whirlwind few days for the entire family.
McLachlan’s parents are still wrapping their heads around their son being an NFL draft pick.
“It's honestly been surreal. It's been awesome to watch Tanner on his journey and for us to experience that with him and be a part of that ride,” said Tanner’s dad, Sheldon.
LCI coaches still have fond memories of McLachlan.
Basketball was his first love but once he stepped onto the football field he dominated on both sides of the ball.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Guilty: Trump becomes first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes
Donald Trump became the first former American president to be convicted of felony crimes Thursday as a New York jury found him guilty of all 34 charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex.
Can Trump come to Canada now that he's a convicted felon?
A Canadian immigration lawyer says now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he is technically barred from crossing the border into Canada.
Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences
Robert Miller was charged Thursday with several sexual assault charges after Montreal police reopened an investigation into the tech billionaire.
Police: 3 killed, including suspected gunman, in Minneapolis shooting
Three people, including the suspected gunman, are dead after a shooting Thursday at a Minneapolis apartment complex, police said.
'Why didn't they stop?' Mom asks of driver in hit-and-run crash that killed son
The mother of a 13-year-old boy who was killed in a hit-and-run in Edmonton is begging the driver to come forward.
The northern lights are returning to night skies across Canada this Friday
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
$400K in damages for B.C. woman who had unnecessary mastectomy was 'inordinately high,' court finds
A jury's award of $400,000 to a woman who had a mastectomy after being misdiagnosed with breast cancer has been substantially reduced by B.C.'s highest court, which found the damages were "wholly disproportionate."