In the fifth round of the NFL draft, the Chiefs selected Georgia QB Aaron Murray. At 6-1, 208-pounds, Murray completed 62.3 percent of his passes over his career for 13,166 yards, according to CBSSports.com. He left Georgia with SEC career records for completions (921), passing yards (13,166) and touchdown passes (121). Plus, he became the first quarterback in SEC history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in four straight seasons.
Recently, I sat down with Murray to discuss his expectations of playing in the NFL, what it's like to work with Coach Reid and found out what his goals are for the upcoming season.
View photos of the Chiefs fifth-round draft pick, QB, Aaron Murray
R: What are your expectations on working with Coach Reid and this offense?
A: To learn as much as possible. This is a great opportunity for me to learn from one of the best. This is a fantastic offense and it's been fun learning this new west coast system. I feel like I have three quarterback coaches with our quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Doug Pederson and with Coach Reid.
R: What do you say to those who think you're too short to be an NFL QB?
A: Look at the success from quarterbacks right now in the league, like Drew Brees or Russell Wilson. I mean Chase (Daniel) has gone in there and done really well. Plus, I played three years ago with the biggest offensive line in college football and pro at The University of Georgia and I had 36 touchdowns that year. You aren't throwing over linemen, you're finding the lanes, moving around the pocket, finding those open throwing lanes and delivering the pass.
R: Did you meet with the Chiefs before the draft? Were you expecting the Chiefs to draft you?
A: You never know who is going to pick you, but I did meet with Coach Nagy the night before my Pro Day. We met for almost two hours, watched film and talked. He was also at the Pro Day and i talked to him at the end of the Pro Day, so the Chiefs were on my list of who I thought could potentially draft me. Come draft time, we're watching and between the Chiefs through the Saints pick I thought I'm getting picked between those seven picks somehow, because there's a bunch of teams that were going to draft quarterbacks. Then I got the call to be a Chief.
R: Why do you feel the Chiefs are a good fit for you?
A: You look at Andy Reid and his past and his ability to develop quarterbacks. Looking at Alex Smith last year, he had a tremendous season; the entire offense had a great season. That's been the biggest thing, is that I know these guys know how to develop quarterbacks and make sure I'm working hard day in and day out.
R: What are some of your goals for this upcoming season?
A: To get better and better everyday. That's the only thing I can control, is how hard I work, studying the playbook day in and day out, at night before I go to bed and making sure I know what I need to do if my number does get called, I need to be ready to go.
R: What have you heard about Chiefs fans and Arrowhead Stadium?
A: I heard they get wild. I've heard it's the closet thing to a college environment; that it's loud, the stands are shaking, plus I heard they broke the sound record last year, so that's pretty incredible. I'm looking forward to it.
R: Are you excited to get to work and put on that Chiefs uniform?
A: I'm very excited. So far, it's been an unbelievable week, it's been hectic and a lot going on but I feel like I'm getting better and better everyday. I'm working on understanding what they're looking for for each play, understanding the playbook and just going out there and getting reps. The best thing you can do is soak up as much time as you have, while you're out there on the field and then watch guys like Alex (Smith) and Chase (Daniel) and see what they're doing on the field and learn from them.
What a day!!! Happy to be a part of the @KCChiefs organization! — Aaron Murray (@aaronmurray11) May 10, 2014