Thorson gets call he’ll never forget

Quarterback from Northwestern selected by Eagles in 5th round

Clayton Thorson wanted to play quarterback beginning in third grade.

“My dad (Chad) played football and so me and my brothers all wanted to be like him and play football,” Thorson said. “It started out by my dad telling me to raise my hand (if) I wanted to play quarterback in the third grade.

“I was a quarterback from then on out.”

Thorson’s determination and talent led to Saturday, when the Eagles selected the Northwestern quarterback in the fifth round of the NFL draft.

The Wheaton North graduate was the 167th player selected overall.

“It was really cool, seeing the Pennsylvania (phone) number, picking it up and talking to the coaches,” Thorson said. “It’s something I’ve work so hard at, worked to be in a place to be drafted. I’m thankful it happened in a place like Philadelphia.

“You dream of that call, you see other guys getting it all the time. To actually have it happen is something I’ll never forget.”

His family was there to share the moment.

“It was a dream come true for Clayton, as well as all of us,” Chad said. “All of Clayton’s brothers and sister, and his mom, Shauna, and I, just a dream come true. All the hard work he’s put in and the adversity he’s gone through, through the injury and different things while at Northwestern.

“It’s something he’s been work for for a lot of years and he’s excited to be part of that winning program.”

There are some family ties to the Eagles. Chad, a linebacker, went to training camp with the Eagles in 1991 before joining the Giants for that season.

“It’s a great city,” Chad said. “We’re so excited about it.”

Clayton also associates the Eagles with their recent Super Bowl victory and coach Doug Pederson.

“Coach Pederson has such a great track record of developing quarterbacks and having great offenses,” Clayton said. “I’m looking forward to joining that great coaching staff and his quarterback room.

“I’ve heard so many good things about it, and (Eagles quarterback) Carson (Wentz) already reached out to me. I’m really looking forward to joining that group.”

Thorson passed for 10,731 yards during his Northwestern career, during which he made 53 starts.

“I’ve seen the purple and white for five years and I’ve loved being part of that program,” Clayton said. “They’ve helped prepare for that next step.”

Chad sees some similarities in that next step.

Like Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, “Doug Peterson (is) a high-character head coach that’s going to have an impact on my son,” Chad said.

Thorson was one of three Big Ten players with area ties drafted Saturday. The Rams selected David Edwards in the fifth round, No. 169 overall. The Wisconsin offensive tackle is a Downers Grove North grad. The Chiefs drafted Illinois guard/center Nick Allegretti, from Lincoln-Way East, in the seventh round (No. 216).

Belleville West and Oklahoma kicker Austin Seibert went to the Browns in the fifth round (No. 170). Two-time All-American Sutton Smith of Northern Illinois went to the Steelers in the sixth round (No. 175). The Buccaneers drafted defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. of East St. Louis and Missouri in the seventh round, No. 215 overall. Syracuse and CreteMonee product Chris Slayton, a defensive tackle, went to the Giants (seventh round, No. 245).

Northern Illinois offensive tackle Max Scharping (second round, No. 55 to the Texans) and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders of Western Illinois (third round, No. 84 to the Chiefs) were drafted Friday.