New Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley held a conference call with the media after he was picked 13th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. The transcript of the call, via the Lions, is below.
On how he felt when the Detroit Lions drafted him
"Aww man, it was a great feeling. My dream finally came true; to finally play in the NFL, it's been a dream since I was eight-years old. Whoever picked me matters, but I always tell folks that whatever team I go to was going to be my No. 1 pick."
On how much he knows about the Lions' defensive line and the personnel on it
"I know a little bit about it. They have Ndamukong Suh and they've got a guy that's a defensive end that's a hard worker; I'm just looking to come in and work my butt off and contribute to the team."
On being projected in the top-5 and then slipping to 13
"I really didn't know where I was going to go coming into the draft; for Detroit to pick me, I'm very excited and I can't wait to get to the town and get this thing started."
On whether it concerns him that he'll be part of a three- or four-man rotation at defensive tackle
"Aww man, playing with Suh is going to be an honor. That guy was the defensive rookie of the year, so to be able to play next to him... I can't wait to get in and pick his brain for the things he did his rookie year."
On having a breakthrough season last year at Auburn
"We had a great season. We went out there and just did everything we had to do to come out with a win as a team. So basically I just tried to contribute to the team as much as I could."
On whether he'll carry a chip on his shoulder after slipping in the draft
"Not at all. It's just the way (draft) landed. It's been a great experience, it's a great moment and I'm blessed to be a part of the Detroit Lions now. I'm ready to go and ready to come in and get the work done."
On whether he feels pressure to live up to what DT Ndamukong Suh did as a rookie in 2010
"I'm just going to come in and work my butt off and try to earn everything I can and see what happens from there."
On what his meeting was like with Head Coach Jim Schwartz during his pre-draft visit
"My take from it was (that they're a) great group of guys, great group of coaches. I know they've got a game plan for the Detroit Lions and I'm happy to be part of it."
For more coverage of the 2011 NFL Draft (i.e. NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL Draft schedule, etc.), check out Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's NFL Draft hub, SB Nation Detroit's NFL Draft StoryStream and Pride Of Detroit's 2011 NFL Draft archive.