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+---- Thread: Antoine Delacour pre-draft media talk (/showthread.php?tid=578)
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Antoine Delacour pre-draft media talk - 37thchamber - 05-30-2017
Gonna take these all in one go. Thanks for the questions, guys!
Why do you think you are ready to play at the NSFL level?
"Uh... I feel like readiness is a lot to do with mentality, you know? And I've spent a long time preparing myself mentally. I'm not lacking the athleticism, I've competed against plenty of other pro-ready players in college and I think I handled it well. It's hard not to think I'm ready when I've put in so much work. If I'm not, then I'll just put in more work."
Do you expect a huge signing bonus?
"I don't. I think teams will be expecting me to prove I'm worth the money. I'm perfectly okay with that."
Who's your draft night date?
"I'm bringing my grandma. She's been there for me this entire time, the strongest woman I know. She deserves a special night as much, more than I do actually."
In a perfect world, who would win the Super Bowl?
"My perfect world? Or just in general? I mean, someone has to lose, so it wouldn't be perfect for them, right?"
Do you console game at all?
"Honestly, not much. I don't do much gaming at all these days really, at least not nearly as much as I used to. But I dabble from time to time. Good way to unwind after a long day."
What system?
"Mostly I game on my smartphone, to be honest. Sometimes on PC. The last console I bought was the Playstation 3 ... which probably says a lot about how much I game."
Would you rather lay a huge hit or get an interception?
"If the huge hit wins the game, then the huge hit. If the interception wins the game, the interception. I want to win more than anything else. On a personal level though, I have to admit I like getting an interception. Even better if I can take it back for six."
Who was your favorite player growing up?
"I actually really wanted to play as a reciever for a while. I really liked watching Chad Johnson. Great feet, and great celebrations. He just made everything look like so much fun, and that was a big influencer."
What is your pump up song during warmups?
"Oh man that changes. Uh... lately I've been listening to that Moosh and Twist one, Champion. No subliminals, haha."
What do you do better than anyone else at your position?
"I think I read the play better than other defensive backs. I have to. I can't rely on being faster, stronger or whatever. I have to be smarter. So that's what I work at in my downtime, and I think it shows."
When you play Madden which player is your favorite to control?
"Usually a top tier receiver like Julio. Pretty fun to just absolutely dominate defensive backs if I'm honest haha. I er... I still kinda like the idea of being a receiver myself I guess. Old habits and all that."
((Gonna answer these in character, just because))
Madden or FIFA?
"Madden. Just about. What can I say? I like to win, and I'm better at Madden."
Chocolate or Peanut Butter?
"Peanut butter. I feel sorry for those people with nut allergies. They miss out, man."
Cake or Pie?
"Let's just say uh... when Grandma cooks up a pumpkin pie, I'm not allowed in the kitchen, haha."
Favourite NSFL team?
"I don't really have a favourite at the moment, if I'm honest. Whichever one signs me is my favourite."
Where do you see your player in 3 seasons?
"Established starter on a championship contender ideally. If I'm not, I'm probably doing something wrong."
Tell us about the decision to go to LSU - that can't have been easy, coming from Ragin' Cajun country?
"I think if you want to succeed, then... when a program as good as LSU wants you, it's hard to say no regardless of the other stuff."
There are more than two CBs per team in this draft class - do you have any experience contributing in nickel looks or on punt returns?
"I have, but not extensively if I'm honest. The way offenses are developing these days, you know... teams like to move their receivers around, or take advantage of the defense being a linebacker down, things like that... so my coaches have spoken to me about this on occasion. We've worked on my ability to read the play, spot a run developing, and adjust this past year, but usually they do prefer to have me on the outside. It's something I'm still working on, but I think I can do it. Make myself a more rounded player, make plays, you know? It's been a while since I was on return duty, though."
It's clear that you put some time in the weights room during your college career. Any haunting catches, or did you just want to improve yourself?
"Part of me wants to say I just wanted to improve myself but while it's true... it's not really that simple. There aren't any particularly bad moments that drove me, but I've never had a perfect game, you know? So there's always something to work on, something to examine and dissect. Something to pick apart and fix."
What was your relationship with Henri Rivere, the other notable CB coming out of LSU? Would you rather be his teammate or rival?
"We got on pretty well, but our training schedules probably didn't overlap as much as you'd expect. I'd be happy to play alongside him again, but I also kind of want to be against him. A sort of symbolic move on from college, you know? Also, we're different kinds of player, so there's a kind of feeling of 'well who is actually better?' going on."
You're the shortest Corner in this draft class, are you at all worried about covering some of the giants that are in this WR class?
"Worried? No. A little excited though. If I want to be the best, I have to beat the best. I'm looking forward to it. If I lose a matchup, I'll double down. I'm not going to let anyone frighten me or intimidate me. They've been playing me all my life when it comes to my size, so I'm determined to prove that it's not that big a deal."
Are you ready to play against recievers like Joshua Garden and Damien West?
"I think so, yeah. Damien West is perhaps the guy I most look forward to facing, actually, seeing how he played in the All-American Bowl game. I want to test myself against those guys."
You're playing a position that's being underrated in this draft, are you prepared to fall into the later rounds?
"You always have to hope for the best but prepare for the worst, right? So I've considered the idea that teams might focus on positions where there's a shortage of talent in the draft, like linemen, for example. All I can say for certain is that, for every pick that is made that isn't me, I'll be more determined to prove it should have been."
Do you want to the number 1 corner or would you be fine playing a system role?
"Of course everybody wants to be number one in their position. I think that's the nature of competition. But I'd rather be third string corner on a championship team, playing a role, than number one corner in a team that isn't winning. I want to be a champion more than anything else."
What are some words that describe Antoine Delacour?
"Determined, adaptable... champion."
Do you miss your college football days?
"In some ways, yeah. Those guys were -- still are -- my brothers. I spent four years down there, we won a lot of games, had some great moments. But it's time for the next phase. We all knew it then, we all know it now. It's not like I won't ever see them again, or experience those moments of high emotion again. So I miss them, but college is over. I'm getting ready to go pro now. That's where I need to be looking."
What's your favorite Pokemon?
"Luxray. Or Umbreon. They just look really cool."
Have you ever done anything for charity?
"I regularly do sponsored runs and stuff like that. Mostly for a few specific charities close to me personally, but if I can use my gifts to help out any good cause, I'm always willing. I'm blessed, I'm lucky enough to be in the position I'm in, so I feel a responsibility to give back when I can."
What was your favorite subject throughout school?
"Probably surprising no-one, I liked any subject that let me use computers. Other than that, I was fond of history. Some really interesting debates in those classes."
What's your least favorite form of cardio?
"I sometimes get really bored just running long distances, so I guess that. I prefer to change it up a bit, do shuttles, or get on the rowing machine, bikes... stuff like that."
Most influential coach throughout your career?
"Probably my high school coach, Phillipe Hugo. I was a pretty wiry kid, bit of a nerd, you know? But he recognised that I had some talent for analysis and so on, got me to convert to defensive back, helped me develop that side of my game. I think without him getting me to focus on the mental side of things a bit more, I probably wouldn't be here today."
If you get beat badly in practice, how do you rebound from it?
"I go away, break it down, and try to understand what I did wrong. What I can improve on. Was I too stiff? Too slow? Was I looking in the right place? Things like that. Talk to my coaches, ask what they saw, learn from it."
What is the most value lesson you've learned on the field, that you can relate to on the field?
"That's a tough one. I guess it was my first game, I was playing as a defensive back for the first time, and I took my eye off the play for a split second. Never did that again. Football is a high speed game, and you have to be constantly aware. I've never forgotten that."
Who is your mother's favorite QB?
"I'm not sure, actually. She's not a big football fan. She'd rather I was the next Mark Zuckerberg than a pro football player. Grandma likes Cam Newton, but I'm pretty sure it's mainly because of his dress sense, and that she thinks he's a good-looking guy to be honest."
Your coach holds you out for a quarter of the game due to be late to practice, how do you react?
"I wouldn't be late for practice. But if we're speaking in hypotheticals, then I accept it as a consequence for my actions. There's nothing more to do. Then when I'm out on the field, I go all out, like I do any other game."
In a crowded CB draft class how do you stand out?
*points to head* "What I've got up here. Not everybody has this. I see some other guys who are really talented, no doubt, but I don't think they've had to adapt as much as I have, I don't think they're as quick to analyse, to read the play. That's all stuff I've worked on since high school."
Antoine Delacour pre-draft media talk - Kendrick - 05-30-2017
1. If you designed a team where would you put them?
2. What would their team name be?
3. Are you a lefty or righty?
4. How many pushups can you do in one sitting?
5. Chicken or the Egg, which one came first for breakfast?
Antoine Delacour pre-draft media talk - Grapehead - 05-30-2017
What's your favourite movie?
Would you rather win a championship or be in the hall of fame?
Who would you want to have dinner with?
When are you going to score next?
Coke or Pepsi?
Antoine Delacour pre-draft media talk - 37thchamber - 05-31-2017
1. If you designed a team where would you put them?
"Lafayette, of course. It's home. No place like it."
2. What would their team name be?
"Uhh... I'll go with Firebringers. Because you know us cajuns love to bring that heat, haha."
3. Are you a lefty or righty?
"I'm a righty, but I'm cross dominant. I wear my watch on my right wrist, and hold my knife and fork 'backwards'. It's only fine motor skills where there's any real difference, I think."
4. How many pushups can you do in one sitting?
"I've never tried to max out, if I'm honest. I know I've managed fifty before, but I really don't know how many more I could have done. Maybe around seventy on a good day. I really don't know."
5. Chicken or the Egg, which one came first for breakfast?
"For breakfast? The egg. Gotta get those pancakes and waffles. If we're talking scientifically, then it would be the egg, right? Containing the animal we now know as the chicken."
What's your favourite movie?
"Oh man. So many options... I think I'd have to say Enter the Dragon. Big fan of Bruce Lee. Great cast, great fight scenes, great villain, some solid philosophy. What's not to like?"
Would you rather win a championship or be in the hall of fame?
"Uhhh... well... Championships are the real aim here, right? It's great to be a hall of famer, no doubt. But that's only for me. So if I end my career without at least one ring, I'll still think it wasn't what it should have been. And champions have rings. I am a champion."
Who would you want to have dinner with?
"If I could have dinner with anyone? My future wife. Why waste time waiting to meet? Let's get it moving now."
When are you going to score next?
"Next chance I get. You never know when someone will make a pass you can intercept and bring home, you know?" (yes, all deliberate ... haha)
Coke or Pepsi?
"Neither. I don't really drink soda. Maybe a sprite every now and then."