Emeka Egbuka sparks smiles buying sneakers for random kid in feel-good viral clip
Ohio State wide receiver and NFL draft prospect Emeka Egbuka has made news off the field with a gesture at a Columbus sneaker store.
Egbuka stopped by a local Columbus shop to sell a few of his shoes before the upcoming draft. Rather than keeping the cash, he chose to pay it forward in a surprising manner.
Egbuka got $350 in store credit for over 10 pairs of sneakers he turned in. The owner of the store, moved by the generosity of the athlete, doubled the amount and will give a $700 gift to the next young shopper who enters the store.
This moment came on the heels of Egbuka's prep for the April 24 draft, where he is heavily rumored to go late in the first round. Although he won't be present for the draft party in Green Bay, he will celebrate the moment with loved ones in Seattle.
Emeka Egbuka is the most underrated offensive player in the draft
Many football analysts believe Emeka Egbuka's on-field talents haven't received proper recognition throughout the draft process.
"Egbuka might be the most underrated offensive player in the draft right now," a current Big Ten coach said on April 9, via FOX Sports. "He's smart as s--t. In '12' personnel, he went outside, too. When you're evaluating him, you should be evaluating everything he does. Mid-to-high 4.4's (40), straight A student, the best interview. Don't overthink it."
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit shared similar sentiments during his appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday.
"The guy that I'm really excited about, is Emeka Egbuka at Ohio State. I think he's Terry McLaurin type of guy," Herbstreit said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see him potentially go up."
Herbstreit pointed out how Egbuka was often overshadowed by teammates throughout his college career. Despite flying under the radar, Egbuka still managed to finish as Ohio State's all-time leader with 2,858 receiving yards.
Bleacher Report's scouting department ranks Egbuka as the third-best receiver in the class. They have him as the best slot receiver, most pro-ready receiver and best route-runner in the draft.