Chalk it up as a gut feeling, but Kain Medrano believed throughout the draft process that he would be reunited with Ken Norton Jr., his former linebackers coach at UCLA.
Granted, he did try making his case as he sat with his family on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. As the Commanders inched towards being on the clock in the sixth round, he texted Norton three words: "Come get me."
A few minutes later, Norton called Medrano to tell him that the Washington Commanders were taking him with the 228th overall pick.
"It's just been a really good bond," Medrano said.
Medrano credits Norton, who coached at UCLA from 2022-23, for introducing him to the linebacker position after he switched from wide receiver. Prior to that, Medrano's only experience at playing defense was at the high school level with 80 tackles as a senior. He ended his college career as one of UCLA's most productive defenders in 2024 with 72 tackles -- second on the team behind first-round pick Carson Schwesinger.
Now that they're reunited, Medrano is excited for Norton to take his skill set to another level in the NFL.
"Just being able to be back with the person I felt helped me out the most at this position is very surreal and just a blessing," Medrano said.
Norton has a long history of elevating players thanks in part to his own extended NFL career. Over the course of 17 seasons, he started in 188 of 191 games, recording six 100-tackle seasons with three Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro nods. He's a three-time Super Bowl champion and the only player to win three in a row with two different teams.
That knowledge was particularly helpful for Medrano, who came to UCLA as a three-star receiver with limited defensive experience. Medrano had already moved to linebacker by the time Norton arrived at UCLA ahead of the 2022 season, but his development took a significant jump at that point because of Norton's coaching style.
"He's someone you want to play football for," Medrano said. "It's fun in the room, but you also get business done. He knows how to explain ball to everybody ... He understands how to teach the game of football."
Norton and Medrano clicked almost immediately, and as a result, Medrano's production increased dramatically during their time together. During Norton's final season with the team, Medrano started all 13 games on UCLA's schedule, earning an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for ranking second on the team in tackles.
"He's the one that taught me the game of linebacker," Medrano said.
This time, however, Medrano doesn't just get to learn from Norton. He's also in the same room as Bobby Wagner, one of Norton's best players who also has a strong connection with the linebackers coach dating back to their days with the Seattle Seahawks. Like Medrano, Wagner can vouch for Norton's teaching skills, as he was one of the main reasons Wagner wanted to sign with Washington last season.
Medrano is still new to the position, but he's not going to shy away from an opportunity to gain more knowledge.
"There's still a lot of room for me to grow," Medrano said. "I'm just gonna go in there, ears open...and just take in the coaching, the 'scars,' like Coach Norton would say. The scars from his years he's trying to pass on to us; the scars that Bobby and [Frankie] Luvu had at the beginning of their careers. They're gonna tell us that so it doesn't happen to us."
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