Calvin Pryor Interview Transcript

On if he had a sense the Jets were interested in drafting him…
I did. When I came in for a visit I felt like I fit their scheme very well. Coach (Ryan) is a very defensive-minded coach and he wanted to go with a defensive guy that could help improve the secondary and he felt like I was a great fit.

On why he fits the Jets defense…
[Not audible]. They cover, pick up the hash. I felt like I fit their scheme pretty well and we ran the same defense, something similar, (in) college.

On why he was under the radar coming out of high school…
(My hometown) was so small and I never went to camps. I played all three sports so I never had the chance to go and separate myself and show them that I was a heck of a football player. I was playing AAU basketball, AAU baseball. So I was all over the place.

On if he has always been a hard hitter…
Yeah. I feel like I’ve always been a hard hitter.

On playing for a defensive head coach like Rex Ryan…
It will be great because Coach Ryan, he’s going to be able to coach me up and teach me some things that I wasn’t able to learn in college. He’ll look for me to make an impact right away. He’s going to do everything that’s possible.

On if he can be a starter right away…
My main thing is just going in there and being a great teammate and making the New York Jets roster.

On if he compares himself to any NFL safeties…
I have similarities between Kam Chancellor from the Seahawks and (49ers) Dashon Goldson. Those guys are big-time hitters. And they’re asked to do a lot.

On what his biggest adjustment will be to playing at the pro level…
Just the competition you’re going to go up against every week. Every team has a receiver, a tight end, who’s a tough matchup. In college you didn’t have that so well. But I look forward to the competition because it’s going to bring the best out of you.

On how much it helped to face Teddy Bridgewater at practice…
It helps out a lot. Teddy’s a great competitor. He’s a very intelligent guy. If you make a mistake, he can burn you with it. You have to be very cautious of what you do and be on your keys.

On how Port St. Joe, FL, compares to New York City…
It’s nothing like it. Port St. Joe’s compared to New York, it’s probably [inaudible]. I come from a very small town where there’s not a lot to do and just being in New York where there’s a lot to do, a great marketing city, it’s going to be different. I look forward to adjusting.

On if he has ever been to the New York area…
I have once. Not often, but I look forward to it being my home for a while.

On his interaction meeting with the Jets leading up to the draft…
At my Pro Day, I didn’t talk with any of the Jets coaches. I believe that (Coach Ryan) was there, but he didn’t have a chance to speak with me. But when I came in on a visit, we had a chance to catch up and talk about some things and what type of guy I was and how I can fit into their scheme and how it’s a first-class organization and just play like a Jet.

On when he sensed he might be picked by the Jets…
After I slipped past Chicago. It was a toss-up between Dallas and Baltimore, but I hadn’t had really any contact with those guys. So once the Jets came I felt very confident that they were going to take me and I was their guy.

On how much higher he was on the Jets draft board than the 18th slot…
I have no idea.

On if Coach Ryan had told him the Jets would not let him fall past them…
He told me that, but in a way. He just told me that I was their guy. I fit into their scheme pretty well. He’d love for me to be a New York Jet. I felt like I took it in a very positive way if the Jets selected me. I felt very confident that they were going to take me.