Pittsburgh-area insurance agent takes part in 2026 NFL Draft

An error occurred while preparing your download

Pittsburgh-area insurance agent takes part in 2026 NFL Draft

When Nick Bouchat was lining up field goals at Highlands High School and later at Edinboro University, he never imagined he would one day have the opportunity to be part of an NFL Draft.

Years later, the insurance agent at the family-owned Bouchat Agency in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania got that chance when he was invited by Nationwide to announce a pick at the 2026 NFL Draft in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

On Day 3 of the Draft, Bouchat took the podium before tens of thousands of football fans to reveal the fifth round, 154th overall selection, for the San Francisco 49ers - Jaden Duggar, linebacker from University of Louisiana. (Watch Nick announce the selection. Courtesy: NFL.com)

The moment took on added meaning due to a unique circumstance that loosely connected the Bouchat family to Duggar, who hails from the Pittsburgh area. Outside of his work as the agency co-owner, Nick's father Jon has been a volunteer kicking coach for high schoolers in the western Pennsylvania area for roughly 15 years.

"Jaden is from Penn Hills, and my dad actually coached against him a few years ago when he was at Kiski Area High School," Bouchat said. "Penn Hills has a really rich tradition of sending players to the NFL, so for me to be the one calling his name, with that local connection, was pretty surreal."

When asked to reflect on his overall experience at the Draft, Nick said, "I'm very appreciative, obviously. This is something I never expected to do in my lifetime. It was awesome from start to finish."

For Nationwide, creating moments like this is one way to recognize agents.

"Nationwide's partnership with the NFL enables us to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences," said Jim McCoy, vice president of sports marketing for Nationwide. "We're so glad Nick enjoyed this very unique opportunity."