If you’re looking for NFL-ready prospects, the SEC is a good place to start your search.
While there will be plenty of top prospects hailing from the Southeastern Conference littered through the first two days of the 2020 NFL Draft, Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder is one who could still give NFL teams top-level experience in the later rounds.
A battle-tested defender who faced top competition on a daily basis, Crowder recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his career with the Bulldogs, how playing in the SEC prepared him for the next level, and why an NFL team should take a chance on him in this year’s draft.
JM: You leave Georgia for the next level as an experienced player that’s played a role on that Bulldogs defense over the past three seasons. How does that experience serve you well going forward?
TC: There’s a lot of hard work that’s gone into the last couple of years. It was a fun process. I’ll never forget my time at Georgia. They taught me how to be a man. I have to thank my teammates and coaches for always pushing me. That experience can only continue to pay off in the future.
JM: What are three traits a successful linebacker must possess?
TC: The three most important traits in my opinion are discipline, physicality and you have to be coachable. Things will go all right for you if you have those three things in your back pocket.
JM: You’ve had so many great teammates throughout your time at Georgia. If you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would it be and why?
TC: I would bring defensive back J.R. Reed with me. I know that he’s an incredibly disciplined person. He comes to practice every day ready to work. I admire him.
JM: What do you enjoy more: Coming downhill and playing in the run game, or dropping back into coverage?
TC: I can’t pick between the two, because both of them are my responsibilities as a linebacker. You sign up for both when you sign up to play this position. I prefer both. They’re both fun to me.
JM: You’ve played against some of the best competition college football has to offer throughout your time at Georgia. Who are some of the best players you’ve gone up against?
TC: That’s a tough question. I can’t really single anybody out. We see the best of the best on a weekly basis in the SEC. It’s the best conference in college football. Every team we play against has great players. That’s the situation we find ourselves in every week.
JM: How did practicing against guys like Andrew Thomas and D’Andre Swift make you a better player?
TC: I admire both of those guys. Sometimes you wake up tired and practice can be tough, but I always think of my teammates when I’m not in the right mindset. I think about those guys next to me and how hard they work. I can’t let them down. I let them be my motivation. I try to attack the day just like they do.
JM: Why should an NFL team use one of their draft picks on Tae Crowder?
TC: Tae Crowder is a disciplined guy that’s gonna show up to work every day. I love my teammates. I’m always gonna battle for the guy next to me.
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