About 90 minutes in, his telephone rang.

On the landline were Buffalo Bills general manager Bill Polian and head coach Marv Levy, who had just acquired the eighth overall pick from Houston in exchange for their No. 3 selection.

That turned out to be Conlan.

“It was crazy,” the former Penn State All-American linebacker recalled Thursday night via cellphone. “I knew I was going to go in the top 10, but I had no idea that the Bills were even interested, honestly.”

ESPN’s Chris Berman looks at the 1987 draft board. Frewsburg native Shane Conlan was graded 10th overall and was ultimately selected No. 8 in the first round by the Bills. AP Photo

As it turned out, it was the just the right move for both Conlan and the Bills.

“It was awesome,” he said. “They were my hometown team.”

More than three decades have passed since Conlan’s retirement, but he remains connected to the franchise that selected him. So much so, in fact, that he will announce the Bills’ selections in Rounds 2 and 3 in next week’s draft, which will be held at Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

“It’s obviously an honor,” said Conlan, who now resides in suburban Sewickley. “They kind of knew I live (near) Pittsburgh, so I think that made it convenient for the NFL.”

Some of the other NFL Legends who will step to the microphone to announce draft picks are Tony Dorsett and Drew Pearson, Dallas; Calvin Johnson, Detroit; Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh; and Matt Millen, Las Vegas (formerly Oakland/Los Angeles) Raiders.

A total of 257 picks will be spread over seven rounds from Thursday through Saturday next week. Barring trades, the Bills’ confirmed draft picks will be at No. 26, No. 91, No. 126, No. 165, No. 168, No. 182 and No. 220.

Buffalo’s 1987 draft class included 11 players. Six of them — Conlan, cornerback Nate Odomes, fullback Jamie Mueller, defensive end Leon Seals, tight end Keith McKeller and tackle Howard Ballard — helped form part of the nucleus that led the franchise to four straight Super Bowl appearances in the 1990s.

Brandon Beane, the Bills’ current GM, wouldn’t mind a similar haul next week.