Kyle Wilson Interview

[Kentucky Jet]

Interview with New York Jets CB Kyle Wilson

April 14th, 2011 | Author: Steve Wyremski

http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog...h-kyle-wilson/

Kyle Wilson was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. The 29th overall pick out of Boise State was one of the top cornerback prospects in the 2010 draft. Adding Wilson to Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie is the equivalent of giving Popeye a pair of brass knuckles. The plan with the draft selection was to make a tough Jets defense even scarier. As Kyle talks about below, the 2010 season posed some challenges.

We had the opportunity to talk with Kyle about his rookie season, CBA issues, and the hopeful 2011 season.

Steve Wyremski (SW): Kyle, thanks for taking the time. How’s the off-season going? What have you been up to?

Kyle Wilson (KW): Not bad, just been working out.

SW: So you’re still working out with the lockout and all the CBA issues? Are you working out on a regular basis?

KW: Yeah, everybody took a vacation after the season, but it’s around that time where guys start working out and staying in shape.

SW: Are you just working out independently or are you meeting up with some of your Jet teammates?

KW: I work out with one of my good friends. It’s going to be his 8th year in the league. He actually went to school with one of my brothers. It’s Mike Adams of the Browns. He’s another New Jersey guy. We work out every morning and do a lot of different stuff. He kind of took me under his wing.

SW: How are you feeling about the whole lockout / CBA situation right now?

KW: It’s a weird situation because obviously it directly affects me, but I don’t have any control over it. We’ve been preparing for this for a long time. I’ve prepared over the last year for this time and I just hope it gets resolved soon.

SW: You look back to last year… you were drafted in the first round in the 2010 draft. Now you have all the CBA issues and there’s the controversy where several current NFL players don’t believe that incoming rookies should be attending the draft in person. They believe they should boycott it. With it being a long-time dream for most guys to be drafted, how do you personally feel about some of the incoming rookies attending the draft?

KW: That’s definitely a personal decision. No matter the advice given, it’s their decision. To be invited to an event like that, I can only imagine [what it’s like]. Regardless of the situation we’re in, it’d be hard to say, “No, I’m not going to go”.

SW: I want to step back to your college years and to something that has me a little curious. When you were out at Boise State, you had an RV with all the Boise State colors and your picture all over it. Your brother seemed to be the mastermind behind that whole thing. What was the deal with that?

KW: The biggest thing behind it was that it brought a lot of my family together. They tailgated and traveled to a lot of the games. It was really to show a lot of support to me and the university, but mainly it was a tool to bring our family together and enjoy my last year of college.

SW: So where’s the RV now?

KW: It’s out in California stripped down. My brother has the wrap. He had it peeled off and has it with him out there.

SW: They’re not taking it to any Jets games?

KW: No, it’s a good idea though. I’m sure my brother has something up his sleeve. I’m not sure how he’s going to translate it to the situation now, but I’m sure there’s something in the works.

SW: Like a lot of rookie corners, there were periods during the year where you struggled (particularly early on). What to you is/was the most difficult part of the transition from the college game to the NFL?

KW: It’s everything. It’s a step up from college in every aspect. It’s still football, but you have to learn a lot of different things. You have to learn the playbook, you move to a new city… everything is new and it’s all thrown at you. It takes a while for things to slow down and to grasp everything, but once you do you can get back to the game of football you’ve been playing your whole life.

SW: You really didn’t have much time to transition with the Revis holdout and his injury early on in the year. You’re playing time stepped up and looking at the first four games… in three of those four you played over 80% of the teams snaps. How hard was it as a rookie to jump right into the starting lineup on a defense with a pretty complex scheme where corners are often left in one on one man to man coverage?

KW: It comes with the territory. It’s a great problem to be in. As a rookie, you want to be out there playing with your teammates. You have to know multiple positions and do more homework, but most people aren’t going to come in and have things go as they planned; you’re going to struggle and have some missteps. Ultimately, as long as you learn from the situations you’ve been in, it’s going to make you a better player later on.

SW: If you look at some of the guys on the team this year, whether it be Revis or Cromartie, how have those guys mentored you or given you advice over the last year?

KW: Yeah, those guys are always offering when they can. They do a good job of leading by example. The thing is, everybody is different, we had a lot of vets on the team last year and one thing I try to do is pay attention to everything. Everyday watch how those guys work and pay attention to the little stuff [like] seeing how those guys are in meetings, approaching practice/mini-camps and ultimately go through the season. You watch how those guys take care of their body, study habits… everything you can think of… whether it be at the facility or not, I made it my business to pay attention to everything.

SW: Going back to the first four games of the season, like I said earlier you played a majority of the snaps, but after that and until week 17 you were used more situationally. Does that mess with a player’s confidence as a rookie?

KW: It can, but that’s only if you let it. I know I’m pretty good and I know I can play anywhere. It just gave me a chance to step back [and] slow things down a little bit. It was ultimately a good thing and it could have been a bad thing depending on how you take it, but ultimately I wasn’t going to let that bother me in a negative way.

SW: Looking at some of the receivers’ catch percentage against you in 2010, the percentage was only 50%, which ranked you #11 among cornerbacks. That’s a pretty impressive stat. It also improved greatly after those first few games. What changed after those first few games that allowed you to be more effective?

KW: It’s definitely an attitude thing. You know you’re at the best level there is and guys on the other side of the ball are getting paid to catch the ball. You don’t want them to catch anything. It’s that attitude when you watch Revis go out there and you see what he does with or without help. He doesn’t complain; he doesn’t blink an eye. He goes out there and tries to destroy somebody every play. You watch that and it comes down to – “why can’t I do that; I see it right in front of me… it’s not impossible and that’s what I want to do”. That’s one thing I learned from him. He’s got that killer instinct. When you see it every day, it rubs off on you. You’re not going to come into the league and be the best corner in the NFL, but you can take strides to want to be there and want to be better.

SW: [Explains what Pro Football Focus is about and the rating system]. Our ratings have week 1 of the season against the Ravens as your toughest game and week 17 as your best game. Do you agree with that?

KW: I think that’s somewhat true. The first game, I was definitely a little nervous and it was battle mode out there against Baltimore. Over the year, there were plenty of ups and downs, but overall I know I’ve learned a lot and have gotten a lot better. I definitely think that showed in week 17 where I know I gave it my all and played a lot better. I was definitely happy with my performance.

SW: Definitely, you only gave up 1 reception for 7 yards that game. Pretty solid.

KW: That was the second time we played Buffalo. I gave up my first touchdown the first time we played them. It was definitely a measuring stick the second time around against those guys to see how much better I got.

SW: How do you take the week 17 success and translate it into the 2011 season.

KW: I want to use that week 17 game as a springboard. After the season, I had some time away and took a nice vacation. When you come back, you really start building that foundation for the following year. I know this year is a little bit different than most other years, but you want to build that foundation. Really, its just staying mentally sharp. I’m just excited to do everything I did last year and do it all over again actually knowing what to expect. You know how the off-season works, preseason, mini-camps, and you’ve worked with a good core of your teammates. You get to do the same thing again and I’m really excited for that.

SW: I’m not going to ask you to speculate here, but assuming that Cromartie is gone, which many believe to be likely, the obvious candidate to start in his place is you. How ready do you feel for that opportunity?

KW: I’m excited for the opportunity. I’m really just excited to get on the field and play. I was watching these spring games on TV and I just got the urge to go hit somebody. Football season is definitely getting underway. I hope things come sooner rather than later. [i’m looking forward to] the overall opportunity to get out there and practice with my teammates to get better. I’m really looking forward to camp to show what I’ve been working on this whole off-season as far as my foundation, my technique, how I’ve been taking care of my body, and how I’ve been working on my fundamentals. Little stuff like that. I’m just excited to get out there and challenge myself into my second year in the NFL.

SW: You mentioned working on fundamentals and technique. Is there anything in particular that you’ve really focused on?

KW: The big thing was that playing multiple positions, you’re going to have multiple jobs. You can play corner, nickel, dime and you’re going to be matched up on different players (running backs, receivers, tight ends) and have different job requirements as far as technique playing those different positions. Last year, I took a lot of notes and I have everything on the different techniques and defenses we’ll be running. I think it’s great to have those notes and know what I’ll be doing for the next year and it will benefit me now.

SW: In 2010, 58% of your snaps were in the slot as opposed to outside. Where did you feel the most comfortable – inside or outside?

KW: I’m more comfortable outside, but I definitely like inside too. You can do multiple things from inside. Playing inside is tougher, but I just love challenges. Wherever it was, it really didn’t matter to me. It’s still covering up at the end of the day. It’s just using different techniques. I played a lot more outside in college, so I’m more comfortable there, but I love the multiple techniques inside; you can get after the quarterback, you can move around, and you’re a little closer to the quarterback.

SW: If you could take one thing from Revis’s game, what would it be?

KW: I would take his press technique. It’s very hard to get him off his base. That’s something he works very hard at and you see it. He’s always getting his hands on receivers [and] his hips are always square. He’s always using his technique to his advantage.

SW: If I were to have this discussion 2 years from now with a 2nd year corner and ask them, “if you could take one thing from Kyle Wilson’s game, what would it be” what do you think he would/will say?

KW: I think they’d take my attitude and work ethic. Those two have gotten me to where I am right now and they’re going to take me to where I want to get to in the future.

SW: That’s all I got, Kyle. Thanks very much for taking the time. I wish you the best of luck in 2011. I’m looking forward to seeing you out there this season.

KW: Thanks very much, I appreciate it.

Wilson is certainly set up to get a shot at the starting gig for the Jets in 2011 and it sounds like he’s put a lot of work and effort into continued improvement this off-season. He’s certainly a guy to keep a close eye on as we head into 2011.

[Bugg]

All I can think of is spending the entire time Revis was out screaming at person or at the TV, TURN THE F__ AROUND!

[visajets]

Im not sold on Kyle Wilson as every down CB on the NYJETS defense. Id prefer Cro. Unless he makes a complete 100% turnaround of last years performance. Sorry

[tparich]

I'm not sold on him either but I do feel a lot better about him after reading the interview. It seems like he has his head on strait.

Thanks for posting!!

[yanks9596]

I'm not sold on him either but I do feel a lot better about him after reading the interview. It seems like he has his head on strait.

Thanks for posting!!

That is precisely the problem. He needs his head to be on a swivel, not be screwed on straight.

Dude showed zero awareness as a rookie.

[NJ]

All I can think of is spending the entire time Revis was out screaming at person or at the TV, TURN THE F__ AROUND!

Amen, Bugg. I'm hoping it's just fear brought on by the talent difference in the college - pro transition. He had to look for the ball a bit in college or he would have been toast on many occasions.

[jaspegs]

That is precisely the problem. He needs his head to be on a swivel, not be screwed on straight.

Dude showed zero awareness as a rookie.

lmao