Jordan Burch had his phone on standby as he watched the draft this past April. On on the second day, Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort called Burch to let him know he was Arizona's third-round pick.
Less than 24 hours later, the phone rang again.
Xavier Thomas, Burch's high school teammate and 2024 Cardinals' fifth-round pick, was on the other line.
"It was a dream come true," Thomas said. "It was a surreal thing. It's kind of like a movie-type feeling."
Thomas and Burch both attended Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina. Burch joined the football team hoping to be a wide receiver. Instead, the coaches put him on the defensive side of the ball and pairing the freshman with Thomas.
"I was brand new to the position and I'm asking him questions and he's trying to help me out," Burch said. "When I finally got it and it clicked when we were both making plays. People were running away from him to my side, so he was helping me out to make plays."
The production put both Burch and Thomas on the map. Thomas was feared in high school. He was one of the highest ranked player in his recruiting class en route to earning Freshman All-American honors during his first season at Clemson. Burch attended South Carolina before transferring to Oregon.
Watching Thomas in high school stood out to Burch because he "set the standard for how you want to be as a player."
"I was like his big brother in high school, and it's kind of the same situation now," Thomas said.
Tempe is a little more than 2,000 miles away from Florence, but Burch is often reminded of home. Once again, the duo shares a position room and their lockers are right next to each other. It's a place where the two often reflect.
"I went through the same thing last year, coming in as a rookie in the same position and the same defense," Thomas said. "I'm teaching him the ropes and telling him to keep the main thing the main thing."