ASHBURN, Va. — Ryan Kerrigan's parents no longer have to ask "Are you sure?"
The Washington Redskins first-round draft pick, accompanied by mother, father and girlfriend, were flown to the team's headquarters Friday to meet the coaches and stand before the cameras for the obligatory news conference.
He gave a good first impression. The Purdue defensive end and soon-to-be NFL linebacker has a spotless reputation as a player who works hard, studies hard and will has a solid family support structure at home in Muncie, Ind.
"You remember when he started out as a kid playing," Brendan Kerrigan said. "And we always would ask the coach and they'd say, 'He's good.' And we'd say, 'Are you sure?' Especially, my wife Anita, she'd say, 'Are you sure?'
"The high school coach wanted to move him up as a freshman to the varsity and she said, 'I don't want him to get hurt.' 'But he is good.' And then we did the same thing at Purdue: 'Are you sure?' Then when they talked about pro football, the same thing 'Are you sure?.' They said just trust us, we know what we're doing."
Now he's been chosen No. 16 overall by the Redskins, and there are no plans to direct the "Are you sure?" question to coach Mike Shanahan.
"No," Anita Kerrigan said with a smile. "I figured that I'd leave well enough alone."
Anita Kerrigan also made a statement usually not associated with big tough football players: "Ryan has always been a very gentle, considerate, caring person."
Ryan Kerrigan will need to use all his talents to make the switch to outside linebacker in the Redskins' 3-4 scheme. He began preparing for that possibility after the college season to make himself a more attractive prospect for all 32 NFL teams.
But Washington was the place he wanted to be, something that became apparent when he came home from his predraft visit with the Redskins.
"Ryan really doesn't say a lot," Anita Kerrigan said. "But he's like, 'Yeah, I can see myself there, Mom.'"
Ryan Kerrigan said he felt that way because he really liked the coaching staff.
"I felt like I fit in well," he said.
And, yes, he was sure.