AP Photo National offensive lineman Cody Mauch of North Dakota State (70) runs drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game.

It’s that time of the year where NFL Draft prospects get to see the culmination of all their hard work finally pay off with one phone call from an NFL team.

Draft prospects come from all different walks of life and take a variety of paths to get to the point of becoming a professional football player.

Some are highly touted and have been in the spotlight for most of their lives, while others work hard behind the scenes and pop up late in their collegiate careers.

For Cody Mauch, a Hankinson native that played college football with the North Dakota State Bison, his path was probably different than most.

Coming from a small town with a population of less than one thousand, Mauch was a standout athlete at Hankinson High School, where he excelled in untraditional nine-man football.

On the gridiron, Mauch played tight end, quarterback, and defensive end, and was named to the all-region and all-state teams twice.

In addition to football, Mauch played basketball, track, and baseball at Hankinson but made the decision to move forward and play football at the next level with the Bison.

Upon arriving in Fargo, success continued to follow Mauch. After finding his way on the field, he became an anchor on the offensive line, starting in 39 consecutive games during his last three seasons.

Additionally, he was a two-time All-American and was named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference teams three times during a great collegiate career.

The Bison were no strangers to success during Mauch’s time there, as he was part of a Bison program that won four NCAA Division I FCS national titles.

Following a successful college career that came to an end after the 2022 season, Mauch began preparing for the NFL Draft and on Friday night, his dream finally came true.

With the 48th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Mauch with the hopes of having him boost their offensive line.

Just one year ago, another local product in Cordell Volson was selected in the NFL Draft, and now Mauch will join the list of players born in North Dakota who were selected in the NFL Draft.