The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with talented edge defenders ready to make an immediate impact at the next level, and Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos is among the best in the class.
A well-rounded prospect who can get after the quarterback and blow up the run in the backfield, Gross-Matos recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his impressive career for the Nittany Lions, the personal tragedies he’s had to overcome, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: You capped off an impressive career with a strong season in 2019. How do you look back on your time at Penn State?
YGM: Playing at Penn State was a great experience. I was able to compete in a Penn State jersey for three years. Each season has it’s own story. I’m extremely thankful to have had those positive learning experiences. I came in here not knowing a whole lot about football or how to play my position.
I still remember the first time I walked in here and opened the playbook for the first time. It was just a giant binder full of papers to me (laughs). It was an incredibly difficult, but rewarding experience. I got better and better as the years went by. I really took my game to another level at Penn State. I was extremely fortunate to be put in such a great position.
JM: Do you have a favorite moment in a Penn State jersey?
YGM: I have two favorite moments that I would like to showcase. As far as wearing that legendary jersey goes, you’ll always remember your first and last sacks. My first college sack happened against Michigan State. My last college sack came against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl.
I knew that that was my last game in a Penn State jersey and I just wanted to make one last big play. The first sack, you don’t really know how many of those you’re gonna get (laughs). Getting that first sack under my belt during my freshmen year was definitely a special moment for me.
JM: What can you tell me about the scheme that you guys ran on defense and what your coaches asked of you?
YGM: We ran a 4-3 defense. Coach [Sean] Spencer really fostered his whole “Wild Dogs” mentality here. We played like that. We were one of very few teams in the country that had 40-plus sacks four years in a row. That’s a crazy stat. We got after quarterbacks and caused a lot of havoc in the backfield. We had the No. 1 run defense in the country last season. It was a defensive system that understood how to utilize my skill-set. I was able to really find my way in that system.
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the EDGE position?
YGM: That’s a tough question. I wouldn’t exactly say that I have a favorite part, because I love playing in both the passing game and the run game. I don’t prefer one over the other. I love getting a tackle for loss in the run game just as much as I love getting a sack. Making plays that result in negative yards for the offense is my favorite part.
JM: What can you tell me about your pass rush arsenal?
YGM: I’m extremely long and quick. Those two traits give me a lot of advantages in my matchups. I understand how to use leverage and when to counter. Throughout my time at Penn State, coach Spencer was big on teaching hand usage. Developing the skill of when to make certain moves started to come naturally to me. I built up a larger repertoire of pass rush moves as the years went by.
JM: How can you use that repertoire to keep an offensive linemen guessing?
YGM: Keeping them guessing plays a huge part in your success as a pass rusher. When they think they know what’s coming, that’s when they start to jump out and over-set you. Having the ability to react to what they’re doing is something that I fortunately have, and I use that ability well. I understand how to react and make smart decisions. I also have great change of direction ability. My athleticism gets me to the ball on a pretty consistent basis.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
YGM: I had a great time at the combine. I learned a lot all throughout my meetings with the coaches and what not. It was great to be alongside my peers. It was such a competitive environment, especially my last day there when my position group finally hit the field. That was definitely my favorite part of the combine. It was so much fun.
JM: Taking every aspect of the combine into account, what do you think is the overall impression you left out there?
YGM: I think that my knowledge of the game definitely impressed a lot of people in the meeting room. I think that every team I met with realized that I’m a guy that’s gonna come in and give it my all. I’m a coachable guy that’s willing and exciting to learn. I wanna learn from the veterans and from the coaching staff. I realize that I’ll be a rookie and all of those guys have a lot more experience than I do. I’m hoping to put it all together and make an immediate impact. I hope that that’s what their impression of me was all about.
JM: Did you get a chance to make any private visits or workouts, or did the spread of COVID-19 prevent that from happening?
YGM: The spread of the virus got to my plans before I did. We didn’t even get a chance to have our pro day.
JM: Have you met with many teams via FaceTime through this process?
YGM: Yeah, my days have been consumed by more FaceTime and Zoom meetings than anything else (laughs). I’ve met with a lot of teams in that capacity. I’ve probably met with about 15 different teams via telephone.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
YGM: I didn’t really get any off-the-wall questions. Every question I was asked somehow related to football or to my personality. Everything was very straight-forward. I guess I was one of the lucky ones.
JM: Who are some of the best offensive tackles you’ve gone up against throughout your career?
YGM: Jon Runyan, Jr. from Michigan was probably the best tackle I ever faced throughout my time at Penn State.
JM: You’ve had so many great teammates throughout your time at Penn State, but if you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would it be and why?
YGM: I’d bring our safety, Lamont Wade, with me. He has such a resilient mentality. He came to practice every day ready to work. He never quits. He brought a lot of energy to our locker room. In my opinion, he embodies what it means to be a a competitor. That dude has a fire in him. You can see how hungry he is. He wants to be great. He’s very passionate about football. If I had to go battle with anyone, I’d want Lamont Wade on my side.
JM: What’s the biggest lesson any coach at Penn State ever taught you?
YGM: The biggest lesson I learned throughout my time at Penn State was how important it is to be true to yourself. Being yourself can have a tremendous impact on those around you. I tried to take that advice and use it to do the right thing. I hold myself to a very high standard. The coaching staff did a great job of teaching me that lesson. They made me wanna be something greater. That’s definitely the biggest lesson I learned at Penn State.
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
YGM: The best thing I can do is get to the quarterback on a consistent basis. If I’m making an offensive linemen feel like there’s nothing he can do to block me, I’m doing my job at an extremely high level. Once they know that, it’s over. I can’t let him win, I can’t him finish me off through the whistle. You have to keep that dog mentality about you. If I’m winning on a snap-by-snap basis, that’s extremely demoralizing for an offensive linemen.
JM: You overcame two family tragedies throughout your childhood. Your father passed away when you were just two years old, and your brother passed away at a young age when he was struck by lightning. How were you able to maintain a positive outlook on life?
YGM: It’s all about how you react to the situations life puts you in. You can’t always control your life, but you can always control your attitude and how you respond. Having the right attitude is everything. Losing two of my family members to such tragedies taught me to be more appreciative of the time that we have with our loved ones. You have to take advantage of every second you get to spend with them. You have to cherish every moment.
Those tragedies really changed my outlook on life. I became a more positive and appreciative person. I’ve never looked at the things I’ve been through as something that could hold me back. I feel like every experience I’ve had in life always made me a stronger person. Overcoming those tragedies were definitely some of the most defining moments of my life.
JM: When a team uses a draft pick on Yetur Gross-Matos, what kind of guy are they getting?
YGM: They’re gonna get a guy that’s gonna come in ready to learn. You’re always gonna get 100 percent out of me. That’s just the type of work ethic that I possess. Nobody’s ever gonna question my competitiveness. I’m willing to put in the work. I wanna be great. That’s the type of player you’re getting in Yetur Gross-Matos.
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