T.J. Tampa waited a little longer than he expected to hear his name called at the 2024 NFL Draft, but hearing that the Baltimore Ravens selected him made it worth it.
"They always say the draft is unpredictable, and of course, I would have liked to have gone earlier," Tampa said. "And it's definitely a chip on my shoulder from here on out; for all the teams that skipped me and all the corners that went before me, and I'm going to use that as fuel every day."
Even though the Ravens drafted another cornerback, Nate Wiggins, before Tampa, the former Iowa State Cyclone sees a perfect fit for him in Baltimore.
"I feel like I'll fit in perfectly," Tampa said. "I know the Ravens do a great job of developing corners, and there's a big corner [in] Marlon Humphrey – getting to learn from him as much as I can. They take pride, toughness is something that they take seriously, and I feel like I'll fit perfectly."
Tampa is aware of the Ravens' standard and he appears to be ready to tackle the task of living up to it. The fuel he has of being drafted later than expected coupled with his desire to learn and improve could make him one of the sneakier gets in this draft class when it's all said and done.
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