CLEVELAND -- The barbecue chicken and potato salad were getting cold. Those hopeful fourth- and fifth-round discussions with his agent were losing significance. One of the most talented cornerbacks in the NFL draft was still waiting to hear his name called late Saturday afternoon, prompting a few retreats to his bedroom between commercial breaks to clear his head.

There would be no hiding for Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Two ESPN cameras were positioned in his living room. Tension and confusion filled the house. "No one in that place thought seventh round," said Lamar Mickey, Ekpre-Olomu's position coach at Chino Hills (Calif.) High and was at the gathering. "Friends were texting me about whether the cameras should leave."

Cayleb Jones caught eight passes for 117 yards in Arizona State's Vizio Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

At around 6 p.m. ET, with 240 selections off the board, Ekpre-Olomu got a phone call from the Cleveland Browns offering relief. Ekpre-Olomu's horrific knee injury from a December bowl practice with Oregon required two surgeries and cost him at least four rounds in draft positioning.

He was at peace far before the call, hearing soft-spoken reminders all day from his mother while sitting on their couch.

Trust in God.

God is good.

What will be, will be.

Ekpre-Olomu shook his head gently and said, "I know, Mom."

"Waiting was the hardest part," Ekpre-Olomu said. "All I was thinking about was what I'm going to do in the next four years."

The injury shook NFL teams' evaluations of Ekpre-Olomu, who was the 27th cornerback selected.

In late 2013, several high-ranking football people told Oregon passing game coordinator John Neal that Ekpre-Olomu should be the first cornerback off the board in the 2014 NFL draft. He's a pure cover corner and excellent tackler who corner blitzes "like a jet fighter," Neal said.

Resisting the draft temptation, Ekpre-Olomu stayed in school to finish a degree in general social science. Oregon paid for an insurance policy that ESPN's Darren Rovell reported will pay the player $3 million because he was drafted outside first three rounds.

Once Saturday night hit, being picked in the seventh round couldn't have felt sweeter. The house erupted, even if the delayed broadcast didn't show it.

"It was stress last week, but it didn't matter," said Queen Ekpre-Olomu, Ifo's mother. "You have to pick up the pieces and move on."

The Injury

On Dec. 16, the Ducks took the practice field for Rose Bowl prep. The corners started with fade drills, running a straight line, one by one, while the position coach tossed a pass out in front of them. The goal was to get position on an imaginary receiver and grab the ball.

"Right when I let go of the ball, I knew it was a bad pass," said Neal, who was tossing to the group.

Ekpre-Olomu twisted to attack the ball behind him. He came down on his left leg, which appeared fine at first, but the leg twisted over his right one and he fell backward.

Neal felt numb. One of the best players he'd coached had his leg hanging in the air with a dislocated knee bone. Neal ran over and placed his hand on Ekpre-Olomu's chest to block him from looking at it.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu blitzes from the corner like a "jet fighter," according to Oregon passing game coordinator John Neal. Scott Olmos/USA TODAY Sports

It was a freak occurrence in every sense. Hearts broke for a player who was never late to a meeting in four years, missed maybe four tackles last season and cared about Oregon.

"Most guys wouldn't have even gone for the ball, but Ifo goes all out every time," Neal said.

Former Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti calls the injury "unfair and sad."

Nearly five months later, teams were scared off by the injury. Asking three decision-makers around the league elicits a similar message -- good player, but this was more extensive than typical knee reconstruction. Ekpre-Olomu said Wednesday he suffered a knee dislocation along with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Mickey said he wonders if Ekpre-Olomu's two surgeries -- the player told him doctors fixed one ligament, possibly the lateral collateral ligament, before addressing the ACL -- affected the thinking of some teams. However, those close to Ekpre-Olomu who were interviewed say a stronger-than-ever recovery is possible, if not likely.

Mickey overheard discussions at the party about whether Marcus Lattimore, the former 49ers third-rounder who never played a down after an injury tore every ligament in his knee, placed an unfair stigma on Ekpre-Olomu. Mickey believes Ekpre-Olomu's injury is much less severe than Lattimore's.

"Teams probably were concerned thinking that I wouldn't be able to play or the level I wanted to play," Ekpre-Olomu said. "It only takes one team."

The recovery

Ekpre-Olomu's goal is a September return to team activities, but this could be a true redshirt year. He's a candidate for the non-football injury list coming out of camp. Whenever he returns, the Browns have high hopes. General manager Ray Farmer said the former Oregon star "can be a starter" in the NFL when healthy. Ekpre-Olomu spent 3½ hours a day rehabbing at Elite Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in the Los Angeles area, on top of draft training. He's working the elliptical machine and he'll be cleared for treadmill work soon.

"It's really just the added motivation of people doubting you. Every day I wake up and forget about what happened yesterday." Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

"It's really just the added motivation of people doubting you," Ekpre-Olomu said. "Every day I wake up and forget about what happened yesterday."

Ekpre-Olomu and Oregon were prepared for potential damage. Piggybacking off a trend started by Texas A&M and left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, who went in the first round this year, the Ducks reimbursed the families of a group of star players who purchased policies through the NCAA's exceptional student-athlete disability insurance rule.

This is a cut-and-dry case where Ekpre-Olomu will likely be paid.

When asked about the policy, Ekpre-Olomu referred to his agent, Ryan Williams, for whom ESPN.com has left messages, and his mother, who said the family is savoring the moment, not the insurance policy. "We've seen so many people talking about it, but frankly speaking, we haven't even looked at it," Queen said. "We want to celebrate the moment for what it is."

Added Neal: "I hope he gets every penny."

The outlook

Mickey could see Ekpre-Olomu was anxious Saturday, but he knew in the moment of truth he would show his character.

This is the same guy who recently gave out free Oregon gear -- shoes, gloves, hats -- to teenage football players in the area. The same guy who fulfilled Mickey's goals for earning a Division-I scholarship -- bench 225 pounds 10 times, run a 4.4-second 40, squad 415 pounds 10 times -- within a calendar year as a high school sophomore.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu sat on the bench at the NFL combine as other defensive backs warmed up. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Everyone who knows him has said proper perspective is in place, that the family stresses education above football. Ekpre-Olomu's father, Josh, a father of four, moved from Nigeria to the United States to eventually enroll at UCLA. He now works for Los Angeles County.

"He told me when the Browns drafted him, 'This is what I wanted,'" Mickey said. "He was all about the opportunity, the right team, not the draft pain."

Once the seventh round approached, the buzz in the house was that he'd go to either New England or Cleveland. Once the Browns called, Ekpre-Olomu kissed his mom, kissed his girlfriend and then made his way around the room for hugs.

"On TV it didn't look like we were very happy, but it missed the moment -- we were very happy," Queen said.

And relieved.

Ekpre-Olomu said he doesn't regret staying in school. He helped get the Ducks through a 12-1 regular season. He was drafted by one of the teams he wanted, a press-cover team, which is perfect since Ekpre-Olomu's first name, Ifomeno, means "something that fits you well."

When the Browns called, he remembers saying "thank you" over and over.

"Making my family proud is a big thing," Ekpre-Olomu said. "That's why I was just relieved to move on to the next chapter. I'm a Brown now."