Few prospects in the 2020 NFL draft can say they’ve experienced what Notre Dame cornerback Troy Pride, Jr. has gone through over the past couple of years.
A talented cover man who followed up some in-season struggles with an impressive week at the Senior Bowl, Pride recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience in Mobile, the long predraft process, and what kind of impact he’ll make at the next level.
JM: As you sit here and inch closer and closer to achieving the ultimate dream of playing in the NFL, the last couple of months have been a whirlwind for you. From a life-threatening car accident to playing your senior season and playing in the Senior Bowl, you’ve been through a lot. How do you reflect on the past few months?
TPJR: It’s definitely been a bit of a roller-coaster. Touching on the car accident, what a moment of perspective that was for me. Playing my senior season, I didn’t have the best year. I didn’t have the year that I wanted to have. My job is to take away the wide receivers and I feel like I could have done a better job with that. I had to move on quickly and get ready to play in the Senior Bowl, and for the combine, as well. It’s been a blessing. It’s been very hectic, but I’ve grown a lot throughout the process.
JM: What are you most excited for as you continue to go through this process?
TPJR: For me, having the chance to go to the Senior Bowl and to the combine, it gives me another chance to prove myself. That’s the best thing about it. It gives me a chance to compete and show everybody that I’m one of the best. When you can separate yourself from a lot of other good athletes and good football players, that’s a testament to the opportunity this process gives you. There’s no faking it. This process will expose you if you’re not ready. Teams can see right through you if it’s not genuine. I love the opportunity. I love to compete. That’s who I am.
JM: Is there a coverage scheme that you’d prefer to play in at the next level?
TPJR: I don’t, and that’s the beauty of change. I’ve dealt with different coordinators, I’ve dealt with different play styles, and I’ve dealt with different coaches at every level that were all very different. I’m pretty comfortable playing in any scheme. I’m very well versed in every aspect of coverage. I understand the weaknesses of each coverage and I feel good about what I can do to not get exposed in any sort of coverage. I’m pretty comfortable with everything.
JM: You’ve played for some great coaches and for some great coordinators, as well. What’s the biggest lesson any coach ever taught you at Notre Dame?
TPJR: The biggest lesson I ever learned was to remain a humble worker, no matter the circumstances. It’s about bringing your lunch pail to work every day. You have to ensure that you’re doing your job on a daily basis. You need to have the ability to help your team. Football is obviously a team sport and you don’t get anywhere by being a bad teammate. You have to take care of your job and you have to trust the guy next to you to take care of his job as well. Being a humble worker goes a long way. I’ll carry that lesson with me forever.
JM: Playing at Notre Dame has afforded you the opportunity to play against some great competition. Who are some of the best wide receivers you’ve ever gone up against?
TPJR: Michael Pittman, Jr. immediately comes to mind. Tyler Vaughns from USC was a good one. We played Clemson last year in a playoff game. Guys like Justyn Ross and Amari Rodgers are pretty special. We played against Vanderbilt, and I think that Kalija Lipscomb is a very talented individual. Lawrence Cager from Georgia is a great receiver. The list goes and on. I saw the best of the best in practice in Chase Claypool and Myles Boykin. It’s been a fun ride.
JM: If you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one teammate with you, who would you choose and why?
TPJR: I’d have to bring my best friend, Donte Vaughn, with me. We’re going to war together. He’s a loyal, dependable guy. He’s a guy that’s been by my side for years now. That’s just a testament to what our careers were like at Notre Dame and the brotherhood that we created outside of school and football. Donte would be my war guy. We’ll gut it out together. We’ll fight to the very end. We’d be on some “300” type of stuff (laughs). I just saw that movie for the first time and it had me hyped!
JM: You just saw “300” for the first time?
TPJR: I know, I know! I felt bad, but somebody finally forced me to watch it. I’ve always heard of it, everybody knows, “This is Sparta!”, but when I saw those guys fight like that, it’s the real deal.
JM: How do you cover a bigger, more physical receiver differently than you would a smaller, shiftier guy?
TPJR: You have to be better with your positioning. You have to distribute your weight a little better. You can’t let those bigger guys block your vision due to the size difference. If you get behind those bigger guys when the ball is in the air, that puts them in a good spot to use their natural ability to make a play. It’s all about positioning yourself in the right areas. You have to get your hands right and you have to understand how to contest the catch point. A lot of that goes for any receiver though.
JM: What kind of impact is Troy Pride, Jr. going to make at the next level?
TPJR: My best football is ahead of me. When it’s all said and done, I want everyone to look back at my career and be amazed by the amount of work that went into it. I want them to be impressed by the diligence and the perseverance that I had. I wanna win some awards and some Super Bowls when it’s all said and done. I wanna be regarded as one of the best. Those are my goals. That’s the standard I hold myself to. From here on out, it’s all about putting in the work.
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