As he sat with family in Red Oak, James Proche felt nervousness and anxiety. And not the kind that exuded from negativity.

In his heart, he knew he would get drafted. He just didn't know when. It was just a matter of having to deal with sitting and waiting to get that call. A call he had been dreaming about since he was 10 years old -- perhaps even before that.

Saturday afternoon, more than four hours after Day 3 of the NFL Draft started, Proche's dreams of being an NFL athlete finally became a reality. Around 3:40 p.m., SMU's record-setting wide receiver was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens (traded from the Minnesota Vikings) as the 201st pick of the NFL Draft. The 5-11, 201-pound playmaker became the latest member of SMU's growing list of pro football athletes.

And following the call from the Ravens' front office, Proche was something he hasn't been since before the start of his college career.

He was near-speechless.

"I can't even put this into words," Proche told The HillTopics after getting the call from the Ravens. "I'm so conditioned to being in grind mode, so I don't know how to feel about it right now.

"It's the next step, I guess ... but it's just crazy."

Proche hugged family members and soaked in the overall experience. Saturday's announcement was the culmination -- and the reward -- of one of the most decorated individual performances in SMU football history.

Proche set career records for receptions (301), receiving yards (3,949), receiving touchdowns (39) and all-purpose yards (4,996). As a senior, he caught a touchdown in 12 consecutive games, also an SMU record. His senior season also included 111 catches, 1,225 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, as SMU earned its first 10-win season since 1984.

For his entire career, Proche was targeted 457 times by quarterbacks. He only had nine drops.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein discussed pros and cons of Proche's game as it projects to the professional level. While world-class speed and size may have been a concern for some teams, few could question Proche's ability to make the catch, as he was considered one of the players with the best hands overall in the draft.

"Teams may see the measurables and move him inside, but he lacks slot quickness and route savvy underneath," Zierlein said of Proche in his pre-draft analysis. "Once the ball is launched, however, Proche is an alpha with ball tracking, body control and razor-sharp focus, which makes him the favorite in contested-catch battles downfield.

"Polishing the routes and determining the fit that best activates his ultra-competitive nature and freakish instincts/talent when the ball is in the air could be the difference between becoming a WR3 or a WR5."

Proche now looks to join the likes of Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, Cole Beasley and Aldrick Robinson as SMU wide receivers to have successful careers in the NFL. For Proche, Saturday was the hardest part, as getting the phone call was somewhat out of his control.

The future, he said, can now be decided by him. "All I ever needed was a shot. Just a chance to prove myself. I got it now."