Ryan Switzer's father was working upstairs in his home office on April 29 when his son received a call from the Dallas Cowboys. By the time the father made it downstairs, Ryan was having a conversation with Jerry Jones.
The Cowboys were making Ryan the 133rd overall pick in the NFL draft.
"The first words out of my mouth were, 'We're going to the freaking Super Bowl,' " said his father, Michael. "Our house went from being a morgue to celebration Saturday."
There are several reasons for the Super Bowl prediction. Along with what he thinks the 5-foot-8, 181-pound wide receiver can bring to Dallas on the field, Switzer's father was having thoughts of former Cowboys Super Bowl-winning coach Barry Switzer and legendary Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley, MVP of Super Bowl V in 1971.
The Switzers are not related to the three-time collegiate national champion coach, but Barry has reached out by phone and claimed Ryan as family because of his ability as a player. Howley was raised in Wheeling, W.Va., about 175 miles north of Charleston, Ryan's hometown.
At Ryan's size, most parents would have doubts about their child one day playing in the NFL. But Michael insists the combination of his son's talent and work ethic made him think it was possible.
"I believed in his ability before he even believed in it," his father said. "Ryan's will to succeed and do well is greater than his will to breathe."
Steve Edwards, Ryan's football coach at George Washington High School, was about to head over to the Switzer home to watch the draft when he heard a familiar name on his TV.
"It got to the part where they said 'out of the University of North Carolina,' and I was like, 'What did they say?' I started crying," Edwards said. "It was a very emotional day for everyone. I didn't think I would be like that."
Switzer is more than one of Edwards' former players. They are friends. When Edwards reflects on his time coaching the fourth-round pick, he thinks about the smiles.
Switzer, who played running back, defensive back, kicker, punter, kick returner and punt returner in high school, made Edwards smile when he was upset about being named first-team all-state only as a punter his freshman year. He smiled every time Switzer would turn a nothing play into a long touchdown run.
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North Carolina coach Larry Fedora was stunned when his staff first showed him Switzer's high school film.
"I thought it was some kind of joke," Fedora said. "It was all 50-, 60-, 70-, 80-yard runs."
It got to the point where Edwards would joke about the plays with the chain crew working the sideline.
"We'd just laugh," Edwards said. "He could do so many things. He believed so much that he made you believe. He would say things to me and I would say, 'Hey, man, if you're feeling it, I'm feeling it, baby. Let's get it.'"
"Believe" is Switzer's favorite word. He calls it his mantra. He had it tattooed on the inside of his lower lip while in high school.
He now has four tattoos, but that one was the most popular topic when he met with reporters at The Star during rookie minicamp.
Switzer laughed it off, something his mother and father didn't do when a high school teammate's parent asked: "What did you think of Ryan's new surprise?"
"I'm just like, are you kidding me?" his dad responded. "But I've always said, if that's the worst my kid does, I truly don't have a problem with it. When people wanted to make a big deal about that, I refer them to the story about him and Clifton.
"If my kid gets that (tattoo), yet he treats human beings the way they're supposed to be treated, I don't have any problems."
Clifton Reid is one of Switzer's closest friends.
Reid has Down syndrome and autism. The two started hanging out after Switzer regularly visited Reid's special education class in middle school.
Many have pointed out how Switzer has helped Reid, but the Cowboys rookie says it's the other way around.
"Clifton's done more for me than I could ever do for him," Switzer said. "I didn't do it for any media attention. I just did it because it felt like the right thing to do. Honestly, it's more to my benefit than his benefit. Clifton has meant a bunch to me. Our relationship continues to grow."
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Switzer's ability as a player has made him well-known around his hometown and in Chapel Hill, N.C.
But there have been times his size has made some think he didn't belong on the field.
Last season, while the Tar Heels were warming up for their game against Virginia in Charlottesville, a security guard approached him.
"I was in shorts and cleats and gloves," Switzer said. "I was about to go catch some passes, do my pregame routine. This Virginia security guard stopped me on the field and was like, 'Where is your credential?' "
Switzer thought his friend Mack Hollins, a wide receiver drafted 118th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles, was playing a joke on him.
"It's definitely happened," Switzer said, "but you just brush it off."
Switzer made a name for himself at UNC on special teams, returning seven punts for touchdowns, one shy of the NCAA record. His transition from high school running back to standout college wide receiver is what got him drafted.
Switzer caught 96 passes for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns his senior year. He was the favorite target of Mitchell Trubisky, the second overall pick in this year's draft to the Bears and Switzer's roommate for four years.
The Cowboys are hoping Switzer can make a similar impact on special teams while growing into one of Dak Prescott's favorite targets.
"First things first, I got to learn the system," Switzer said. "But I didn't come here just to be a guy. I came here to help a team win and do whatever the team needs to be successful, so hopefully that's in a lot of different areas, and it'll be up to the coaching staff to see where I'm most useful."
Fedora said Dallas is getting an "electric" player, a "fearless" punt returner and a receiver with a knack for getting open against man or zone coverages.
"He was a go-to guy, especially any of our third-down situations," Fedora said. "Mitch was always going to look to him because he knew he was always going to get open."
The Cowboys also appear to be getting a player who believes he can do things many say are impossible.
Switzer bet Fedora that he'd be 5-9 when measured at the scouting combine in March.
"I was 5-8 and three-quarters," Switzer said. "They could've rounded up."
Switzer now owes his former coach a steak dinner.
"He can do just about anything," Fedora said. "All you got to do is tell him he can't and then sit back and watch him. He'll show you."
