CLEMSON – Ruke Orhorhoro has come a long way from hoop dreams growing up.

The former Clemson Tiger competed in the annual Pro Day at the Poe Indoor Practice Facility Thursday morning, and performed in drills he didn’t at the NFL Scouting Combine. It was far more than that though.

This was a culmination of his football career to this point and a closing of the chapter at Clemson. He’s spoken to all 32 NFL teams, including 25 formal visits. Orhorhoro is

“I thought I was going to be an NBA player man. I could go on and on about that. I thought I was playing basketball till I started playing football,” Orhorhoro said.

As he finished that statement, Orhorhoro gestured to his mother who once was worried about football, thinking it would hurt him. Looking at the 6-foot-4, 293 pound man now, it’s safe to say he’s the one doing the damage.

Orhorhoro had a 4.67 in the shuttle and 7.40 in the three-cone drill. It was the two drills he didn’t test in at the combine, but the entire process hit home from Indianapolis to Pro Day.

“Being here, it’s so surreal. When you finally do it…I’ve watched the NFL combine on Youtube and TV and you’re finally there and it’s a different perspective. I’m just grateful that God put me in that opportunity and gave me the ability to some of the things that I did out there,” Orhorhoro said.

Throughout his training for draft testing, Orhorhoro had to really learn that he’s a “tough guy.” He’s always in a joking manner, but there was no dancing around getting up early in the middle of the week. It was an important lesson and Orhorhoro won’t take any day for granted.

“It’s five in the morning on a Tuesday and nobody wants to get up. Just having to roll out of the bed and look in the mirror and say you’re going to make the best out of today,” Orhorhoro said. “Just treat it like the last day and just go out there and give it you all. I just learned how much I overcome adversity and things of that nature just throughout this process…I haven’t evenscratched the ceiling of what I know I can become but I’m excited for what the future holds and where it’s going to take me.”

An All-ACC selection in his final season as a Tiger, he finished with 22 tackles, eight for loss and a career-high five sacks. Thursday’s performance was the end of his Clemson chapter and he’ll be a coveted player come April.