Kwity Paye had the quote of Thursday night.

The former Michigan defensive end was selected with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft, taken by the Indianapolis Colts. He was the fourth B1G player taken off the board and the first Wolverines selected this year.

Immediately after he was selected, Paye was interviewed by ESPN’s Maria Taylor and made an awesome promise to his mother.

“She’s done working,” Paye said. “She’s retired.”

Paye’s journey to the NFL is one of the most extraordinary stories ever heard. He was born in a refugee camp after his family fled Liberia. His mother, Agnes, brought her son and his brother Komotay to the United States to escape the civil war that was occurring in the country.

His mother worked tirelessly to put him through high school, working around the clock to support the family. Paye then earned a scholarship to play football at Michigan and is now a first-round selection in the NFL Draft.

Paye is now paying back is mother for all the sacrifices she made, and it provided us with one of the most awesome moments of the night.

In four seasons at Michigan, Paye totaled 97 tackles with 23.5 for loss and 11.5 sacks. He emerged as one of the top defensive ends in this year’s draft class during the college football season and during the draft process. Paye was the first B1G defensive lineman taken.

After the 2019 season, Paye could’ve declared for the NFL Draft but opted to return to Ann Arbor for one more season. That decision may have been what catapulted him into the first-round status.