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Khaseem Greene was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round and he is 'excited' to start his career.

(David Manning for the Star Ledger)

Khaseem Greene watched the NFL Draft from his mother’s home Saturday, having gone through the wait that did not end Friday night.

Expected by most to be chosen somewhere in the first three rounds, Greene was not picked in the first two days.

After holding a draft party Friday night at an Edison restaurant, he was surrounded by his family when got the call in the early afternoon on Saturday.

With the 117th selection in the draft — the 20th pick of the fourth round — Greene became a member of the Chicago Bears.

"I feel great," Greene said. "I’m just excited. I’m happy to be a Bear. I’m ready to get down there and get to work."

Greene was among a school-record number of Rutgers players selected in this year’s NFL Draft, including five picked on the final day.

Four former Scarlet Knights were tabbed in the seventh round yesterday: tight end D.C. Jefferson (Cardinals, 219th), running back Jawan Jamison (Redskins, 228th), linebacker Steve Beauharnais (Patriots, 235th) and cornerback Marcus Cooper (49ers, 252nd).

Add in the third-round selections of defensive backs Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon (both by the Patriots) on Friday night and Rutgers totaled seven draft picks. It was the biggest haul by Rutgers football, surpassing the 2009 draft in which five Scarlet Knights were picked.

Yesterday, Greene, a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, joined that growing NFL alumni base. Last season he was named third-team All-America by several publications after making a prolific transition from safety to linebacker at Rutgers.

Finally, Greene received a call from Marc Trestman, the Bears’ new coach, and general manager Phil Emery. Trestman told Greene he was happy to have him and welcomed him to Chicago. "It’s just so crazy," Greene said. "I can’t even put into words."

The joy of yesterday comes after disappointment the night before. Greene hosted a three-hour party at Fox and Hound in Edison. Nearly 150 family and friends showed up, including former Rutgers teammate and Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.

Afterward, following an empty night, he took the long view. "I can’t be angry," Greene said. "I saw two of my teammates go in the third round. I’m good. I’m not worried about it.

"It’s all about how you finish. Once I get there I’m going to make everybody pay."

But Greene also waited for his turn. He spent yesterday in an anxious mood.

"I just wanted to know where I was going," he said.

Once he got picked, Greene celebrated.

"It doesn’t matter where you start, it matters where you finish," Greene said, repeating the mantra. "I don’t care. I wasn’t upset about not going yesterday."

He will spend some time with his friends and with his half-brother Ray Graham, a former running back at Pittsburgh who was not selected. Once that period ends, his pro career begins.

"I’m going to take this all in," Greene said. "Take this process in and know this work has just begun."

LOCAL PRODUCTS

Piscataway native

Dwayne Gratz

(Connecticut) was drafted in the third round, 64th overall, by the Jacksonville Jaguars. ... Irvington graduate

Josh Evans

, who starred as a safety at Florida, was taken in the sixth round by the Jaguars. Evans, who was named The Star-Ledger Essex County Player of the Year, started all 13 games during his senior season at Florida. ...

Princeton defensive end Mike Catapano was the first pick of the seventh round. He is the first Tigers player drafted since 2001 (Dennis Norman, Seahawks).

Staff writer Kyle C. Leach contributed to this report.