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CHICAGO -- Laremy Tunsil realized his dream on Thursday, which could easily be remembered as one of the worst nights of his life. The Ole Miss offensive tackle said his Twitter account was hacked before the start of the 2016 NFL draft. A video was posted showing Tunsil wearing a gas mask and appearing to inhale marijuana. Tunsil said when he was called from the green room above the stage at Auditorium Theater that the video was old.
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"I made a mistake," Tunsil said, "a huge mistake."
NFLDraftScout.com ranked Tunsil ahead of both quarterbacks in the draft, but Notre Dame left tackle Ronnie Stanley was the first offensive lineman drafted, sixth overall to the Baltimore Ravens.
Tunsil said he did not know who posted the video. In addition to the video, Tunsil was asked about screenshots of a text conversation he allegedly had with Ole Miss director of football operations John Miller in which Tunsil asked for money.
"I made a mistake. That happened," he said.
When he was ushered into the media interview room Thursday night, a member of security quickly whisked Tunsil back into a hallway and closed the double doors into the room. Presumably, Tunsil was advised how to handle the interview.
That advice might not have served its purpose. When asked a second time if he had accepted money from a coach at Ole Miss, Tunsil said, "I'd have to say yeah."
He was forthcoming and vowed to make a positive of a slide down the board that likely will cost him about $7.5 million over the course of his contract.
When the Tennessee Titans held the No. 1 overall pick earlier this month, Tunsil said Wednesday he expected to be their choice. But trading the top pick made Nashville a no-go. Even when the Titans moved up from No. 15 to No. 8 to draft an offensive tackle, it wasn't Tunsil, but Michigan State's Jack Conklin.
Tunsil said he's the best tackle in the draft. He said he will "show it" with the Dolphins.
"I think I have the great feet, the great frame. I just think I'm the best. You've got to have that swagger about yourself," Tunsil said in February. "You've got to be confident. Everywhere you go you've got to have that confidence."
Tunsil earlier this week learned he was being sued by his stepfather for "emotional distress."
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Tunsil was the No. 2 player on their draft board. Grier said several times the Dolphins had done a lot of homework on Tunsil and have no concerns about his future.
"We're excited to have Laremy on our roster," Grier said. "We're very comfortable with all the information we have on the situation. We've done a lot of work. We spent time with him at the combine. He's got personality tests, all the stuff we do. He loves football at the end of the day."
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross signed off on the pick, Grier said. Two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert was not 100 percent most of last season and Ross wants to protect the franchise's investment in quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins also drafted offensive tackle Ja'Waun James in the first round of the 2014 draft.
"It was an opportunity we had to take," Grier said.
"He's very football intelligent. We talked to the coaches and stuff. This guy is a grinder. For us, we were very comfortable once you talk to him. The room upstairs was jacked when we got him."
