ChiefsPlanet - Chiefs Brandon Carr Interview a Little Before the Draft

Draft Blitz Interview with Cornerback Brandon Carr

9/19/07

Chris Horwedel: Hey Brandon, take us through a typical day for a student athlete such as yourself.

Brandon Carr: I wake up at 8am to get ready for class at 8:30am or 9am. I have one morning class a day so after I am done I head back home for some grub and a nap until it's time to head to football. I normally get to the football center a little after noon to watch some film on the opposing team. Meetings start at 1:30pm and practice is from 3-5pm. I have a night class of Monday and Wednesday so after practice I have hustle up in the locker room to get myself prepared for class which last until 9pm.

Chris Horwedel: You're a Flint guy, what was it that attracted you to Grand Valley State?

Brandon Carr: When I first arrived to Grand Valley on my visit I was impressed by how clean and beautiful the campus looked. I also found out how well respected they were in the business world. That was all that I needed to hear, a school that is well respected both on and off the field! I also liked the competitive atmosphere surrounding the football family. I knew that they had one back-to-back national titles but they were not content with that, they wanted to keep winning! As I look back on my decision I am happy that I chose Grand Valley over the other schools recruiting me because we are winning here and that would not have been the case if I would have went somewhere else.

Chris Horwedel: Is there a player you pattern the way you play after?

Brandon Carr: I have been trying to pattern my game around Champ Bailey for years now. I love the we he plays out there and he is a motivational tool for me. I do not know if I show glimpses of him but a lot of my teammates call me "Champ". My goal is to play at the next level and have the success that Champ has if not more. I believe the sky is the limit and I am not intimidated by the guys coming from all the DI schools because if you make it to the NFL every rookie has a shot. My motto for football is "GRiND NOW, SHiNE LATER", and my favorite personal quote is, "You'll See".

Chris Horwedel: Do you think that it's necessary for players to have a certain amount of an ego in order to truly excel in the game of football?

Brandon Carr: I do believe it is necessary for players to have a certain amount of an ego to excel in the game of football. It is important that you do not have too much because that can hurt you in the long run. I believe that the ego brings some self-confidence and if you are not confident in yourself and your abilities then you will not last long in this game.

Chris Horwedel: Who's your closest friend on the team?

Brandon Carr: I have a lot of good friends on the team. Some guys that I hang out with more than others are Kirk Carruth, Cameron Bradfield, Anthony Adams, Brandon Barnes, and Carlisle.

Chris Horwedel: What's something that would surprise people about Brandon Carr?

Brandon Carr: I like to think of myself to be a reserved person. I would rather chill by myself listening and singing some R&B. I listen to R&B music to keep myself balanced because the game of football is such a violent and demanding sport. When it's game time though, I turn on the rap music to get my mind right!

Chris Horwedel: Considering the amount of money generated by college sports team, do you think that student athletes should be paid?

Brandon Carr: I think student-athletes should get paid for playing. We are earning money for the school and giving so much of our time to our specific sport. We do not have enough time to work, get an education, and excel in our sport. I figure since we are representing the school, giving it our all, we should get something in return to care for ourselves.

Chris Horwedel: Before the snap, what's the first thing you're looking for in the opposing offense?

Brandon Carr: Coach Martin always talks about having a game plan before the snap to kind of get your mind right. A lot of things run through my mind before the snap. Our coaching staff does such an outstanding job during the week with our scouting reports that there are not many things we are not prepared for. Teams have tendencies and the personnel to match. I know what each tendency is in each personnel. Next I look to see what the down and distance is and then I take note of the body language of the receivers as they break the huddle. I use to study the receivers body language in high school and 90% of time my observations were correct. I look to see where their eyes are looking (if they are marking off the yards for their routes or if they are looking inside at their man to block), I also look at their speed of release from the huddle (some receivers run to the line a tad but faster if they might be getting the ball), and once they get to the line I look at their stance and if they tug on their gloves to get ready for a pass. It may sound like a lot but to me it's second nature.

Chris Horwedel: If you had to single out one guy on your team for having stepped up at camp this year, who would it be and why?

Brandon Carr: I do not like to single guys out but for the sake of the interview I will. My roommate and fellow cornerback Rob Carlise stepped up during camp. He came to Grand Valley in 2004 as a walk-on from a small school in Detroit, MI. He came as a receiver but did not see the field. He moved over to the other side of the ball this past spring and has not looked back since. He has a lot of potential to be a big time player for Grand Valley in the years to come. We pushed each other each day during the summer and in training camp. We had a competition of who would get the most interceptions during camp and you already know who won that one!!! lol
Unfortunately Rob is out for a few months after dislocating his hip in our home-opener and his first career game. He is eager to get back and that is how I know he is going to an impact player for this team in the future. Sometimes I think that he will be better than me!

Chris Horwedel: Who is the toughest opposing player you gone up against in your time in college?

Brandon Carr: I have been asked this question a lot and the only person I can think of is my own teammate Eric Fowler. We competed everyday in the practice so when it was time for the game it felt a little easier.

Chris Horwedel: If you could add any one current college football player to the GVSU roster today, who would it be and why?

Brandon Carr: If I could add any one current college football player to our roster it would have to be Pat White from West Virginia. I am not trying to take anything from our current QB Brad Iciek but Pat White is an experienced QB who can throw and run.

Chris Horwedel: How do you feel you stack up against the top defensive backs in the country? What separates you from your peers?

Brandon Carr: I sometimes wonder what type of player I would have been if I would have went DI. I am not big on the "what if" daydreams so I just tell myself to keep working for the long run. I stay on top of the cornerback rankings and take not of the names I see the most frequent. I keep track of the guys from DI and try to have better stats than them each week. I write down my goals for each season and work my butt off to reach them. Some people may say that my goals are ridiculous and that after the recognition I received from last season it will be impossible to obtain but like I always say, "You'll See". I like to believe that I have a bigger chip on my shoulder because I have to work twice as hard as the guys in DI.

Chris Horwedel: If you could pick a pro team to play for, who would it be?

Brandon Carr: I would play for any team in the league! We play a combination of man and zone coverages here at Grand Valley but the coverage I like the most is Cover-2. I would not mind playing for the Bucs, Bears, Lions, or the Colts.

Chris Horwedel: If football weren't an option for you, what would you see yourself doing with your future?

Brandon Carr: That is why I go to school, to get my education. If football does not work out for me after this season then I will continue to get my education and graduate from Grand Valley. I did not redshirt so my on the field and classroom classification do not match. I have another year left until I graduate and once I graduate I would like to move down south and work for a corporation. My major is Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and my minor is Business.

Chris Horwedel: What's your current height/weight/40?

Brandon Carr: My current measurements are 6'0/210/4.47

Chris Horwedel: Do you think people overrate the importance of 40 times?

Brandon Carr: The 40 yard time can be overrated sometimes but it is a test to see how fast you are. It may not necessarily show how good of a football player you are because I know a lot of people who have 40 yard speed but on the field they are terrible. Some people put too much stock into the 40 yard dash time, but I can think of a lot of guys who ran 4.5-4.7 40s and were impact players in the NFL. Up until my Junior Day this past spring, I was not a good candidate for the 40yd dash. I could never run against the clock but if you lined me up against someone or had me chase someone it would have been a different story!

Chris Horwedel: Which one quality do you consider your greatest strength?

Brandon Carr: My greatest strength is my technique and footwork. I had to rely on that in high school because I was not the fastest. I saw that you could still get it done with great technique and now I have added the speed with it!

Chris Horwedel: Which area of your game do you feel needs a bit of work?

Brandon Carr: I have always felt that the area of my game that needs the most work is my tackling. I feel that I need to be more aggressive on the point of contact and hit a little higher than I do. It is an on-going process and I feel that I am getting better with each game.

Chris Horwedel: Which one of your games, more than any other, sticks out in your mind?

Brandon Carr: Now that's a tough question to answer because I have had a few games that constantly replay in my head. Two games from last season stick out the most though. The playoff game against South Dakota State, when I layed out their pro hopeful running back, Stephan Logan, and locked down their other pro hopeful receiver, Desmond Allison, along with the rest of the receivers. Their offense tried me a lot in that game and I kept shutting them down. The swagger was definitely in effect that game! The other game that sticks out is the 2006 championship game against Northwest Missouri State where I knocked down a pass in the end zone and then two players later picked one off. I still wish I could have keep my feet because I would have been off to the races but my big head weighed me down! I was so emotional after that game because there was a lot of pressure on me before and during the season and I rose to the occasion!

Chris Horwedel: Lets talk get to the important stuff. Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba or Jessica Simpson?

Brandon Carr: How about Beyonce?! lol....but I would have to say Jessica Alba.

Chris Horwedel: What's the last movie you saw, cd you bought and video game that you played?

Brandon Carr: The last new movie that I saw was Live Free Die, I do not buy cds, and I gave my PS2 away to my niece so I could have one less distraction. When I did have my PS2 I played College Football all day.

Chris Horwedel: What's the best advice you've been given?
Brandon Carr: The best advice I've received is, "have a short memory".