MINOT, N.D. – Minot State's
Sebastian Gutierrez is heading to the NFL.
While the Beavers' 6-foot-6, 295-pound senior offensive lineman might not have heard his name called on ESPN during the draft, he did not have to wait long to hear from the NFL as he has agreed to terms on a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos.
"It feels amazing, it's a dream come true," Gutierrez said Saturday night at the Minot State football award celebration as he was congratulated by teammates, coaches, and friends.
"I'm excited, I've been talking to them for a little while now. They've always been a team that's been in my pocket."
Gutierrez becomes the first Minot State player since Randy Hedberg was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1977 to get a shot at the NFL.
A dream come true for Gutierrez that the Pasco, Wash., native and a goal he always kept his sights on.
"Coming here, definitely it was in the back of my mind playing in the NFL," he said. "Coming from Minot State and coming from an (NCAA) D-II, it should be amazing, it should be an awesome opportunity."
An opportunity Gutierrez worked hard to earn during six years at Minot as he began his career as a tight end and caught five passes for 32 yards as a redshirt freshman in the fall of 2017.
Moving to the offensive line, he has excelled both on the field and off, earning Vice President of Academic Affairs Honor Roll honors his junior season, and being named a Second Team AFCA Division II Coaches' All-American, to the D2Football.com's Elite 100 Team, and to the NSIC All-Conference team this past fall for his play on the field.
Accolades that earned him plenty of notice from NFL scouts who believe that despite coming from an NCAA Division II program, Gutierrez has the talent to play at the next level.
"I've heard the feedback from multiple teams, they've said you can handle it," Gutierrez said of making the jump to the NFL, "I just have to get acclimated to the speed of the NFL from D-II."
Gutierrez will get the chance to get acclimated to his new team right away as he is scheduled to head to Denver before the end of the weekend.
