From his early days on the football field, Obi Melifonwu tirelessly worked toward trying to achieve a lofty goal that once seemed a long shot.

Now his dream is about to become a reality, as Melifonwu is expected to go as early as the first round in the 2017 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night in Philadelphia and runs through the weekend.

Quite an accomplishment for a player that received little interest from Division I programs outside of UConn coming out of Grafton High School in Massachusetts.

The news will be celebrated by not only Melifonwu, a 6-foot-4, 224-pound defensive back, but also his family, friends and the UConn football program where he grew into professional prospect.

"Growing up starting to play football at the age of nine, I knew this was something that I wanted to do," Melifonwu said recently. "I knew the NFL was somewhere I wanted to go.

"It's crazy because all of the people around me, my friends and my family, knew the things that I could do. I just had to show everybody else. So it's just really good to see now everybody knows my talents and everybody knows my ability. Everybody knows that I can play different positions on the field and help the team in a lot of ways."

"It's just made everybody that's been around me really proud."

Melifonwu's stock soared after his eye-popping performance during the NFL Scouting Combine at Indianapolis in March. He's impressed pro personnel with his athleticism, size and speed.

At least 20 teams have shown in interest in Melifonwu, an American Athletic Conference first-team selection and team leader in tackles and interceptions last season.

While UConn's Randy Edsall never coached Melifonwu, he's gotten a chance to know him since returning to Storrs in December.

"I think he's a really good kid, a really nice kid," Edsall said. "He's got a good personality. Talent-wise, it appears he has the ability to be a first round guy. You just don't know in terms of the NFL. There's people that probably like him and everything else, but how does it fall at the end?

"... It would be great for him to be selected in the first round and it would be great for the program. ... From the little bit that I know of him, he's a hard worker. He'll do well. It's hard to turn down that size, speed and athleticism that he has."

It can't hurt that UConn defensive backs have made their mark in the NFL in recent years.

Melifonwu believes the success of former Huskies Byron Jones, Andrew Adams and Darius Butler will be a positive for him on draft day.

"I feel like UConn is known for their great DBs," Melifonwu said. "A lot of different schools say they're DBU, but I really do feel like we're DBU because we have a bunch of DBs in the league right now. I think it has definitely helped. I'm just glad that I could help UConn football and keep that legacy going."

Jones was an NFL Scouting Combine sensation in 2015, setting a world record in the standing broad jump. He became just the second UConn player to be taken in the first round — running back Donald Brown (2009, 27th overall) is the other — and spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, which selected him 27th overall.

Adams, an undrafted free agent, started 13 games as a rookie safety for the New York Giants last season. Butler, a second round pick in 2009, has spent the last five seasons with the Indianapolis Colts after a season with Carolina and two with the New England Patriots.

During the pre-draft process, Adams was frequently in touch with Melifonwu and offered him advice.

"We're definitely starting to make some noise," Adams said. "We've had DBs in the past three or four years come out, receivers and other positions. Obi is next up. He's a great player and a great athlete. We all expect big things from him.

"... He's going to be highly drafted. I'm happy for him. That's a blessing. The key is just to get in — first round, seventh round, undrafted — and show what you can do and prove yourself on the field."

Some of Melifonwu's UConn teammates — wide receiver Noel Thomas, defensive lineman Mikal Myers, offensive lineman Andreas Knappe, to name a few — are longshots to hear their name on draft night.

Whatever happens, UConn will continue to be well-represented on the professional ranks next season. Last year 17 former Huskies earned a spot on NFL rosters.

It's a fact that wasn't lost on Dan Orlovsky, who spent his 12th pro season as a back-up quarterback for the Detroit Lions. He was chosen in the fifth round in 2005.

"My teammates get earfuls about it," Orlovsky said. "I think UConn has done a really good job in the past, especially building a program that was respected and getting guys in the NFL."

Edsall plans on doing his part to keep the pipeline running from UConn to the NFL. It is good for both the players and the program.

While serving as director of football research/special projects for Detroit Lions, Edsall learned more about UConn's reputation in the NFL.

"People have a lot of respect for the program," Edsall said. "Having just come from the NFL and been around, there's a lot of guys that are still playing. That's what we want to do, develop our kids and give them the opportunity to play at the next level."

g.keefe@theday.com