By Harry Minium
SUFFOLK
Oshane Ximines watched his Mother, Dane McDonald, work her fingers to the bone for four years, changing bed pans at a nursing home while also attending community college.
She came home between work and school and quickly made dinner. She often stayed up studying until the birds began chirping.
She was an immigrant from Jamaica who came to American dirt poor. But she was smart and had an amazing work ethic.
Ximines shared a bedroom with his three sisters while she went to school. When she got her nursing degree, she moved her four kids into a better home.
“I saw firsthand my Mom, who came from nothing, work all day and stay up late at night studying,” Ximines said. “All my drive, my desire to get better, comes from my Mom.”
So it was fitting that when Ximines was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the NFL draft Friday night, his Mom and three sisters were by his side, as was his Dad, Delroy, half a dozen other family members, friends and nearly a dozen former ODU teammates.
Oshane Ximines with his father Delroy minutes after he learned he was selected by the New York Giants.
Spread all over the living room and spilling into the kitchen, the crowd of 30 or so people watched tensely as the draft dragged into its fourth hour. Ximines was visibly distressed.
"Oshane was so nervous," Dane said. "I felt bad for him, that he might not get drafted tonight."
Then, the room exploded with noise when Ximines received a call minutes before it was announced the Giants drafted him.
Everyone knew that when he got a phone call, he was about to get picked.
"Oh my gosh, I made history," he said as he took the phone outside to talk with Giants' officials. He returned minutes later and everyone raised glasses in a toast and cell phones to capture the moment.
Just before his name was announced on national TV, Oshane said "I'll bet they get my name wrong."
But he couldn't hear. Just before his name was announced, screams went out from his sister and the place exploded into a sea of joy, with hugs, high fives and kisses all around.
Dane is from New York, where Oshane's father lives -- he's a long-time resident of the Bronx.
"We're going home," Dane said, as tears trickled down her cheeks. "This is surreal."
Four former ODU players – Taylor Heinicke (Carolina Panthers), Rashaad Coward (Chicago Bears), Rick Lovato (Philadelphia Eagles) and Zach Pascal (Indianapolis Colts) -- are in the NFL. While all succeeded making it in the big-time, none were drafted.
That's an historic milestone for ODU, a school that just began playing football ten years ago.
Jeff Comissiong, ODU’s defensive line coach, came to the Ximines house with his daughter, Jacey, to watch his prized player get drafted.
Oshane Ximines celebrates with family, friends and former teammates.
“He’s earned this every day since he arrived on campus,” Comissiong said. “He’s worked so hard. He’s earned every accolade he’s gotten.
"He's been mentored the right way. I can't think of two better role models than his Mom and Dad."
Ximines came to ODU from Ahoskie, N.C., and arrived as a lanky, 6-foot-3 defensive end who weighed 211 pounds. He was a 2-star recruit who turned down offers from East Carolina and Marshall to come to ODU. He wanted to play, but coach Bobby Wilder made a wise decision and redshirted Ximines as a freshman.
He spent that redshirt year working out and it paid off as he was 235 pounds the next season. He started all but one game in his career, giving up his starting spot to Scott Wiggins, a senior, on Senior Night of his freshman season.
He bulked up to 255 pounds as a senior without losing any speed. Although he played with the worst defense in Conference USA as a senior, Ximines caught the attention of pro scouts with a standout season.
He was fifth in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 12 sacks, tied for 10th with 18.5 tackles for loss and sixth in FBS with four forced fumbles. He racked up those stats even though most teams double-teamed him or chose to run away from him.
He and wide receiver Travis Fulgham were the first ODU players invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and first set of ODU teammates at the NFL Combine, where they both raised their stock considerably.
There had been talk that Ximines might go in the first round, but his name wasn't called Thursday night.
There was a festive, party-like atmosphere in Dane's apartment before the second and third rounds of the draft began Friday. Dane ladled out ribs, cabbage with veggies, fried rice and plantains. But when the draft started, things calmed down. Every time a player was drafted, things got quiet.
Oshane Ximines and his Mom Dane McDonald after he was picked by the New York Giants.
"I'm a little nervous," Ximines said shortly before it began.
Hats from every NFL team were stacked neatly on the back of Dane's couch. Oshane's head was buried in his phone much of the night while he waited for the call.
I looked over his shoulder to see what had his so captivated and he was playing a video game.
"I guess that's his way of keeping calm," said Delroy Ximines.
Delroy busied himself passing out bottles of water and soft drinks, and when that was done, he paced from the living room back to the kitchen.
"I think I'm more nervous than Oshane," he said before his son was drafted. "He's earned this. He's worked so hard."
Then came the call that sent everyone in the apartment into bedlam.
"The best part of tonight is that I got to celebrate with the people who are close to me," Oshane said.
He acknowledged that in all the noise, he still doesn't know who called him from the Giants.
"The guy said this is the New York Giants calling and we're asking you to be a part of our program," Oshane said.
"I don't know who he was. I just picked up the phone and everyone was going crazy.
"This was such a great night. I'll never forget it.
"All the hard work paid off off. I'm just so happy that it happened."
Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu