Stick vividly remembers the visit as well.

In fact, he left thinking the Chargers would be an ideal fit. At the same time, he had no clue what to expect once the draft began.

"It was great," he said. "I got a chance to sit around and talk football with Coach Whisenhunt and (Quarterbacks) Coach (Shane) Steichen, meet different people inside the building and walk around the facility. I really loved my time out there.... I wasn't sure (if they would draft me though). I tried to come into this thing without (many) expectations, but I knew that I really enjoyed my time out on my visit and getting to know those coaches. I thought we had a really good visit and great conversations, but this has been such a crazy process that you just never really know."

While he may not have known it at the time, the Chargers clearly were big fans of his game.

Thus, they pounced at the opportunity to select him when he was still on the board at pick 166.

"He's a guy that we really like," Telesco said. "For quarterbacks that don't really go high in the draft, we think he has a lot of qualities that are 'make it' qualities. He's a fifth-round pick. When you look at his production in college, his toughness, his leadership — his intangibles are off the charts. He's a great athlete, too, in the pocket as far as moving around, making plays with his feet and extending the play. He's very accurate. Like I said, he has great touch with the ball. He has great poise — doesn't get rattled very easily. There are a lot of qualities that we look for in a quarterback."

Of course, there's truly only one thing that really matters in football.

Winning.

Well, you couldn't really ask much more from Stick in that regard as he guided the Bison to a 49-3 record as a starter.

"I like him," said Head Coach Anthony Lynn. "He's a winner. He went 49-3 at North Dakota State. He's a sharp player. He's creative when he has to be. He's a passer. I like him a lot. I think he's a good prospect and he'll get a chance to compete."