Iheanachor Goes #21 to Steelers, Makes ELAC History as Huskies' First-Ever NFL First Round Pick

"If you step onto that field, you're gonna make a lot of money someday."

That was East Los Angeles College Athletic Director and former head football coach Bobby Godinez's pitch to a large young man who was playing AAU and high school basketball about five years ago.

The gentleman in question, a young Nigerian native who stood about 6'5, had only played basketball and soccer previously. But he decided to give football a go.

Fast forward to tonight, where that young man indeed is set to make a lot of money... along with making ELAC history. Offensive tackle Max Iheanachor - who played at East LA in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Arizona State for his 2024 and 2025 seasons - became the first-ever Huskies' alumnus in school history to be drafted in the first round of any major professional sport. He was selected with the 21st pick in tonight's NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"How about that for a win for East Los Angeles College!" exclaimed a jubilant Godinez over the phone.

Iheanachor opted to watch the draft unfold at home in L.A. versus make the trip to Pittsburgh. He was surrounded by his family and some former ELAC coaches, including Godinez. After Pittsburgh made the call and the selection, Godinez recalled some of the early conversations he had with the Steel City-bound tackle with trading the hardwood for the gridiron.

"You just need to trust me," recalled coach. "And he just gave me the biggest hug, telling me 'I'm glad I trusted you.'"

Back in 2018, Godinez made the decision to bump football from the lower American division to the super-competitive National division. He wanted to raise the profile of the program, but more importantly: he wanted ELAC Football to provide a better path to better transfer opportunities to a wider variety of student athletes. To attract the kind of athletes - like Max - that can transfer to high-level NCAA programs and build a better talent reputation for East LA.  

But a former student-athlete turning into a first-round NFL Draft pick? That's beyond the proverbial cherry-on-top.

"You usually don't  see the benefits of the job you do until much later on," expressed Godinez. "To see someone go in the first round...maybe if we didn't get the chance to coach these kids, to coach Max, then maybe he's not getting this opportunity."

Unfortunately, Iheanachor was unavailable for comment as of this writing. But Godinez summed up everyone's sentiment.

"It's unbelievable." he beamed. "It's a blessing for him, for us all; we're so proud."

Pittsburgh starting left tackle Broderick Jones has reportedly suffered a setback in his recovery from recent neck surgery, and the Steelers are ultimately unsure if he'll be ready to start the upcoming season. The belief is that this prompted Pittsburgh to switch their focus to the offensive line with their first round pick, and Iheanachor was one of the names that came up on their radar.

Courtesy of Cerwin D Haynes, East Los Angeles