Liberty standout Antonio Gandy-Golden embraces NFL chance in D.C.

Liberty football fans won't have to travel all that far to see the Flames' all-time leading receiver play in the pros.

A fourth-round pick of the Washington Redskins, Antonio Gandy-Golden said it didn't register right away that he'll be just more than a three-hour drive from where he played college ball.

"I didn't really realize that immediately," Gandy-Golden said. "I didn't realize that until a couple of hours after I got drafted. I was like, 'Wait, I'm going to be super close.' I might actually be staying in Virginia again. I thought that was pretty cool. I'm excited. Of course, the Liberty fan base is amazing. I feel like they'll be behind me the whole time."

Gandy-Golden said he had limited one-on-one dealings with Washington leading up to the draft and that it came as a bit of a surprise when the Redskins took him when they did.

He said he's already gotten to know fellow incoming 'Skins draft pick Antonio Gibson out of Memphis.

"It's so funny because we were actually right behind each other at the combine and everything, so we talked a lot during that process and then we get drafted to the same team," Gandy-Golden said. "So we reached out to each other immediately."

The 6-foot-4-inch wideout joins an organization in transition, with Ron Rivera set to begin his first year as head coach.

Gandy-Golden will also be surrounded by some talented former Ohio State Buckeyes in first-round pick defensive end Chase Young and his new quarterback, Dwayne Haskins.

"I definitely know he's an explosive guy," Gandy-Golden said. "He has a live arm and he's very accurate. I'm excited to work with him. And of course, Chase Young, he's a monster. I saw him in person. He's a lot bigger than he looks on TV so I'm excited. I know he's gonna' wreck things up front, too."

For now, Gandy-Golden said he's staying in shape and enjoying the time he has with friends and family. When the time does come to join his new team, he says he'll be more than ready.

"Throughout this process, I've kind of been all over the place and, for the most part, by myself so just hanging out with my brothers and my mom and friends that I haven't seen in awhile," he said. "Whenever they call me and tell me it's time to go, then I'll be there."