Name: Cortez Herrin
School: Alabama A&M University/East Carolina University
Position: OG
Height: 6-3
Weight: 310

Q: What goals did you set and/or accomplish in your final collegiate season? 

I had 3 goals to start the season. My first goal was challenging myself to become bigger, faster, and stronger during the duration of the season. Most programs tone down the strength and conditioning intensity during game time for the preservation of their player’s body. I decided to take an alternative route by continuing the same lifts with a slight moderation to my gym routine. My second goal was to win a championship. We fell short of this goal as a team. Even though we fought hard, there is no sense in celebrating a moral victory, but there is sense in celebrating and respecting the moral history hence the love and passion combined together to create a lifelong brotherhood and foundation for the future. My final goal was to be the best leader I could be off the field. I genuinely want to see people win in life, wether its inside or outside the game of football. With me already presented the opportunity experiencing the real world outside of college as a young adult was a shock in and of itself. Therefore, I try to instill the importance of education and grades to everyone coming up under me because we are the future.

Q: What would your coaches and teammates say about the type of player you are?

It honestly depends on the player or coach you ask. I was blessed to have had a lot of interactions and unforgettable moments with different coaches and teammates. Some may think that I am the funniest guy in the world, while some may think I am as quiet as a mouse. I think the common theme that they would narrate about me as a player would simply be that I come to work. I do not complain about anything, and I am always trying to maximize my opportunities by thinking about the next play.

Q: When you are studying film, what are the things you focus on to improve your game?

In the film room I am my biggest critic. I do not think I have good plays. In my eyes, there is always something that I could do better on each and every play. I understand that football is a game of inches, angles, and grit. Until I can get every rep of every game perfect, I will never be satisfied. I understand that in football, it is not only just a mindset, it is an art. Within this art you will win by perfecting the minute details that are possibly preventing your craft from going to the next level. I pay attention to every detail to my knowledge, while staying eager to learn more about each position on the game field.

Q: What separates you from the other pro prospects at your position? 

Consistency. I say that simply because if you are a pro prospect, then you probably have great size, just know how to play football, or possibly, if you’re blessed, you have both of the two characteristics. But football is not about how you look, or where you were recruited, football is all about heart. Thats why its a beautiful game. Do you have the heart to want to be consistent. Do you have the heart not want to get beat. Do you have heart to do your assignment every play. Do you have the heart to accept defeat and immediately start to prepare to conquer every new challenge you face. That alone makes the difference between a dog and a man. Its magnificent.

Q: What is your offseason plan to train and prepare for professional opportunities?

Right now I currently do not have an agent, so I am not attending some of the brand facilities for training. That don’t spot a thang but a chicken wang, but If presented the opportunity, I would love to do so. As of right now, I plan to keep asking my previous strength and conditioning coaches for tips and drills for me to do on my own. I am also apart of a group chat where me and a couple of my college friends who are going through the same process share different the various workouts to stay on top of each other to make sure we succeed.

Q: What kind of strengths and abilities will you bring to a team that will stand out both on and off the field?

The strengths I would bring to a team that would stand out would be my ability to play football, my leadership traits, and my willingness to always learn. Im pretty sure that there are a host of guys that are filling rosters with those same characteristics, but it hit different when your soul is tied into it.

Q: What is your final pitch to the NFL and any other pro leagues?

I don’t have any magic words to say. I just want to thank everyone who took the time out to read this. You are kind. You are smart. You are beautiful. You are someone. God bless.