By Will Vandervort.

Former Clemson linebacker Stephone Anthony will celebrate his first-round selection in the NFL Draft at Chucky Cheese.

That’s right, Chucky Cheese.

“I’m in daddy mode right now,” Anthony told the Saints.com a little after midnight on Friday. “I have my little girl with me so we will probably go to Chucky Cheese and hang out.”

Anthony’s daughter may not totally understand it right now, but she got to see her father have his name called out by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on the opening night of the 2015 NFL Draft. Anthony was a late first-round surprise when the New Orleans Saints selected him No. 31 overall.

“I’m full of emotions. It’s a dream come true for me. It’s an honor and a blessing for me and my family,” Anthony said.

Though Anthony’s selection by the Saints may have been a surprise pick by the so-called experts, New Orleans knew all they needed to know about the Tigers’ middle linebacker. Head coach Sean Payton told the media they did a ton of research on the 6-foot-3, 243-pound All-ACC linebacker.

“There was a handful of linebackers that we thought could play both inside and potentially outside,” Payton said. “All of which we feel are real good players. But we like the makeup, his size and his position flexibility.

“He can play either inside position, but he is more suited to play MIKE because he has that body type.”

Besides his play, the Saints were impressed with Anthony’s leadership skills on a defense that led the nation in 11 different categories and was full of potential NFL players.

“They had an outstanding season and had a great defense,” Payton said. “They were right at the top of the country in team defense and there are a lot of prospects on that defense. Through the process, we watched a ton of Clemson film and when you are watching them you are looking at a number of different players.”

The Saints were looking at a number of players to fill their need at middle linebacker, but Anthony, in Payton’s opinion, was ahead of the rest. They were impressed by what he did at the combine and then what he was able to do at Clemson’s Pro Day.

They felt by the time they left Clemson that day, they had seen all they needed to see and Anthony filled in all of the blanks. The Saints did not work him out at any point after that.

“All the things fit with Stephone,” Payton said. “He is sharp and he is the leader of their defense when you talk to Brent Venables, the head coach (Dabo Swinney) or anyone else. His name comes up within five seconds.

“Then the production on film was real good.  Then there are the combine numbers. When you look at it his size, some of those things allowed him to separate himself in a group we felt was real good.”

Anthony knew there were some questions about his ability to cover in space and things of that nature, but he was grateful the Saints saw something in him that they chose to use one of their two first-round picks on him.

“I’m just going to try and come in, keep my head down, go to work and see what happens,” the former Tigers said. “Whatever coach feels like he needs me to play, I’m there to do it.

“I was prepared for either or, and I was prepared for the greater good, but the Saints took a chance with me and pulled the trigger and I appreciate it.”