Arlington is more than 1,400 miles from Southern California, but Thursday night the city was full of Hollywood glitz and glamour when it played host to the NFL Draft.
AT&T Stadium rolled out the red carpet for more than 20 prospective stars of the league, who would soon learn the jersey they'd sport for the first season of their careers. This is the first time the draft has ever been held at a professional stadium.
"This is so exciting right now," said Charlotte Jones Anderson, the Dallas Cowboys' executive vice president and chief brand officer, as she walked to the stadium. "I think you can feel the energy and we're just glad it's here."
The college players came dressed to impress with smiles to match. Here were some of the best moments from the red carpet.
Jaire Alexander sings his go-to karaoke song
The cornerback from the University of Louisville donned a dapper, three-piece maroon suit with a black-and-white polka dot bow tie and cheetah-print Del Toro shoes. "I'm going for the bold look," he said. "I'm definitely a bow tie guy."
When asked if he's a fan of karaoke, Alexander leaned into the microphone and treated GuideLive to a few bars of his go-to song, "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly. Watch:
My favorite moment of #NFLDraft red carpet: @JaireAlexander singing his go-to karaoke song, “I Believe I Can Fly” pic.twitter.com/u74c9xb8LY
— Tiney Ricciardi (@tineywristwatch) April 27, 2018
His favorite sports movie: The Benchwarmers, because it's comical and makes light of football, Alexander said.
Jaire Alexander was drafted to the Green Bay Packers.
Minkah Fitzpatrick has the shine of a lion
The defensive back from the University of Alabama was rocking a fresh 'do, sans dreadlocks, and fresh threads. Fitzpatrick wore an off-white suit from from the Michael Strahan collection, which he custom-designed to include buttons with lion heads.
"The lion is a strong animal," he said. "We put those on there to add a little more shine and flash to the suit."
And what Alabama outfit would be complete without the championship rings to match? Just look at that bling!
One sport he's not good at? Golf. "I tried a couple times and I'm not good at all," he laughed.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was drafted to the Miami Dolphins.
Kolton Miller divulges his guilty pleasure food
At 6 feet, 9 inches tall, the offensive tackle from the University of California - Los Angeles is a force to be reckoned with on the field. What does he eat when looking for a guilty indulgence?
"I'm a big sushi guy," Miller says. "I go to all-you-can-eat places and I bring all my lineman buddies, so that can't be too healthy for you."
His favorite sports movie: The Waterboy. "It's a classic," Miller said.
Kolton Miller was drafted to the Oakland Raiders.
