On Thursday evening, Texas Longhorns cornerback Jahdae Barron became the first Longhorn selected in the first round of the NFL Draft when he was selected No. 20 by the Denver Broncos.

It was an emotional moment for Barron at his watch party in Lakeway, surrounding by friends and family, including former Texas wide receivers coach Brennan Marion, now the head coach at Sacramento State, former Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, and Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead, a Manor product.

When Barron received the call from the Broncos, he asked to be put on speakerphone to thanks the organization for changing his mother’s life — it’s long been a goal for Barron to buy a home for his mother and allow her to retire.

Barron’s gratitude didn’t stop there, thanking his coaches and teammates.

“Just know that anybody who has ever been a part of the burnt orange family at the University of Texas, they played a big part in my life. I’m blessed, truly honored. It’s been an amazing journey, but I want to thank everybody,” Barron said.

Barron also had a heartfelt message for Longhorn Nation.

“I just want to say thank you for week in and week out just cheering for me. Being at Texas has been the best years of my life. I’ve dedicated so much to just wearing that burnt orange, growing up, being a child and going to the games when I was little, so just every chance I got to play in DKR, it literally meant the world to me. Every fan and every coach and every teammate played a big part in that. All of the staff there, everyone was just there with open arms and kept believing in me. UT has the best and biggest spot in my heart forever. I love you all, and Longhorn Nation forever,” Barron said in a statement released by the school.