VIDEO: Meet Indiana Freshman Defensive Tackle C.J. Person
Indiana freshman defensive tackle C.J. Person met with the media for the first time Wednesday afternoon to discuss why he chose IU, his goals now that he's on campus and more.
Watch his full comments in the embedded media player above, with a complete transcript available below.
What are you telling people back home about the program?
"I tell them that I love it. Honestly, I'm not even that homesick, because I feel like I'm at home. The minute I stepped on campus, it was just that love feeling when you meet the coaches and get to talk to everybody. You can't really get homesick up here, honestly. It's just a bunch of really nice people here, so I'm in a good position."
How rewarding is to see all of your hard work pay off to get this point?
"I mean, it's extremely rewarding because the fact that I'm here, this is exactly what I worked for. Now that I have it, it's like, now you've got it and you've got to do something else to continue being here. I'm not here for just kicks and giggles. I'm trying to, one, make it to the NFL. I have things to do to get my family out of the position we're in right now and to bring about a change at this school. There's a lot of things that tie into it, and we just have to come in and work. That's all I'm about. I love work, because the end result is everything that you want."
When you were a junior, you played at over 300 pounds, but when you showed up here, you were fairly lean at 280 or so. Was that your plan, to lean up before you got to college?
"Yes sir, because I knew if I came in at that weight, that's not a healthy weight for me, that's not a weight I was comfortable playing at. That was a result of a hip injury that I had. I had to get surgery, so those months off, I didn't really take myself serious. I slacked off and just picked up a lot of unhealthy weight. Playing at that weight showed me that's not what I want to be, that's how I want to carry myself on the field, because I wasn't able to play how I really wanted to play. I had to switch up my entire game because I couldn't continue - I was burning energy because I wasn't used to being that heavy. After the season, I made it my goal to cut down a lot of weight, which I did. I ended up playing at 285 my senior year after coming in at 330 most of junior year. That was just a long offseason and summer."
What's your ideal weight? Where do you think the coaches want you to be at?
"They're saying they want me around 285 right now, and I'm at 280 right now so I'm good."
I know Coach Hagen wants to play you at both spots. Obviously the 3-tech, it's more about that explosive first step. How much does that weight help you with that?
"A lot. Like you said, my first step is my biggest impact on my game. That's where I win a lot of my reps when it comes to 1-on-1s, anything, because my first step is normally a lot quicker than the people I'm facing."
How much did Coach Wommack factor into your decision to come here? I believe your connection with him goes back before he got to IU.
"Yeah, it's a big connection. He's friends with my coach back at home. They've been friends for a long time. So with them being friends and that coach, he's like a father figure to me. Knowing that they're good friends, I know that he doesn't choose friends that he wouldn't want anyone like me to be around. When I meant Coach Wommack, finally got to talk to him and everything, I kind of fell in love with the guy. He's a cool dude, he's very chill, he doesn't sugarcoat anything, he keeps it 100 with you. I've been knowing him since my ninth grade year. He offered me when he was at South Alabama, and that was my first offer. When he got here, he said he brought my name up in a meeting, and the next day I had an offer. So it was obviously something about this school, they wanted me and I wanted to be here. Knowing he was here definitely made me want to come even more."
I know you guys are doing pads or anything as linemen, but how much have the older guys like Juan helped you?
"They give me all the insight about everything. They try to help you out as much as possible. They'll try to tell you, make sure you're hydrating, make sure you're sleeping right, make sure you know the playbook, make sure you're just ready, prepared in all areas so that by the time fall camp rolls around, you're ready for it. You're not over-tired, you're not missing meetings, you're just ready to go out, work and compete."
This team lost a lot at the defensive tackle position. Is your mindset to come out and play right away?
"Of course. I didn't come here for no reason. As much as I love all the guys, I'm here to make a name for myself and that's what I plan on doing."
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