LEHMAN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Connor McGovern, who was just drafted by the Dallas Cowboys about two weeks ago, got quite the sendoff at his alma mater Tuesday afternoon.
The Lake-Lehman school community honored the future NFL player before he left for Texas.
The school invited hundreds of people to the ceremony to congratulate McGovern. They honored him by retiring the number 60 jersey that he wore when he played for the Black Knights at Lake-Lehman.
Connor McGovern walked into his old high school gymnasium greeted by hundreds of kids who were sitting exactly where he used to.
"It's so surreal to me. My whole life, I have been looking up to other people and now it's kind of on the other foot, kids just looking up to me," McGovern said.
Lake-Lehman held a ceremony to honor McGovern who was recently drafted in the third round by the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.
To celebrate the player's accomplishments, the school surprised him by retiring his jersey number.
"I started figuring out what was going to happen, then I came up here today and just all the emotions hit me again. It's just been a crazy couple of weeks, just a whirlwind going around still."
McGovern played center for the Black Knights from 2012 to 2015 and then went on to play college football at Penn State.
"It's just an amazing accomplishment," said Lake-Lehman athletic director Jeff Shook. "Connor was one of the hardest workers I've ever seen. That's why he is where he is right now."
"It's truly an honor to see one of my former players continue his career in the NFL, and for the most part, I just love the fact that the community that I see in this room today to honor this man, let's give him another hand," said Lake-Lehman head football coach Jerry Gilsky.
McGovern and his former coach both fought back tears as the school retired McGovern's number 60 jersey.
"I've only ever seen Coach Gilsky get emotional once my entire career with him, so to see him get choked up, it was hard for me to hold it back, too. You know, both of us, we're not very emotional but when we show it, we show it, and we mean it," McGovern said.
McGovern says the past few weeks have been a whirlwind, but he's ready for the next chapter.
"It's more excitement. I'm just ready, the last couple months, actually, no football, just working out, basically, just ready to put the pants back on and get to work."
McGovern says he will be leaving on Thursday to head to Texas to begin practicing with the Cowboys.