SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio - Unlike most NFL Draft prospects this week, Notre Dame College offensive lineman Doniel Gambrell had to ask for the weekend off from work.

"They said they didn't mind. They said, 'We know we'll see you on TV,'" Gambrell told The Plain Dealer earlier this week in a phone interview while he was driving to work.

"I'm excited about it. A little nervous, but more exited than anything.''

Gambrell has one of the more intriguing back stories heading into the 2015 NFL Draft, which is Thursday through Saturday. He continues to go to school full time at NDC, finishing up his business degree, while working to support his wife, Shardai, and their three small children.

Gambrell, a 6-5, 315-pound tackle from Glenville, is considered a late-round draft prospect. If he is not drafted, he is expected to sign soon after as a priority free agent. He could have his choice of several teams.

"I have been hearing from a number of teams,'' he said. "Recently, they just call to say they are interested and get my draft-day (phone) number and ask what I've been doing to get ready.''

The Browns were the only NFL team that had him in for a workout, but that is not unusual. Every team had a scout on campus to interview him and watch practice, games or film.

Gambrell performed well the College Gridiron Showcase in January, a lower-tier draft event. He also attended the University of Toledo's pro day last month. NDC coach Adam Howard said Gambrell did not test as well as he would have liked in some of the individual workout tests, but excelled in the offensive line drills.

"He had a good pro day,'' Howard said. "He had probably the most impressive workout of the offensive linemen that were there.

"A lot of the scouts really liked him and thought he had good feet. Several approached him afterward and spoke very highly of him. A lot of people are requesting his medical information, which is a good sign.''

Division II Notre Dame College has never had a player drafted in five seasons of varsity football.

NFL.com has Gambrell on its radar. One news story on the site lists him among its "50 most intriguing prospects''.

"Big, athletic player who dominated lower level. Has holes in his game, but his potential and athleticism will have teams very interested,'' writes NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.

In a further breakdown, NFL.com writes, "Intriguing small-school player with big-school athleticism and talent. While his feet are NFL-caliber, his instincts and anchor need work. With his family life and hectic schedule, Gambrell hasn't had the opportunity to work in the weight room like he will need to. He will require patience and technique work, but has a shot of playing on Sundays. Some project him inside to guard, but teams might want to give him a shot to play tackle initially.''

Zierlein and Chad Reuter's recent seven-round mock draft has Gambrell being drafted by New England in the seventh round with the 253rd pick (out of 256 picks).

"I saw that,'' Gambrell said. "I think I'll be happy about that. Wherever I go, I'll be happy.''

Gambrell is off the grid for many other recruiting sites. ESPN.com has one line on his bio, and it's wrong: "Hometown: Cleveland, Va.''

Gambrell is a former Glenville High School teammate of Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones, where both were skinny late-bloomers. Gambrell went at Eastern Michigan, but came home his first year when Shardai got pregnant with their first child. Gambrell worked in a factory until Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. helped him connect with Howard at NDC, where he became a four-year mainstay and a co-captain.

"If I'm a betting man, I'm betting he's going to be in somebody's rookie camp right after the draft,'' Howard said.

In the meantime, Gambrell is a Direct Support Professional at Rose-Mary Center in Euclid, a residential assisted living facility for children and adults who have a wide range of intellectual and developmental disabilities. The good-natured and patient Gambrell often is assigned to a wing of sometimes aggressive adolescent boys while assisting with daily tasks such as laundry, preparing meals and brushing teeth.

He said residents and co-workers ask him often about the draft.

"A lot of people, they want to know what's going on and what do I think is going to happen,'' he said. "I tell them, 'Anything can happen.'"