Justin Herron

Offensive Lineman / Wake Forest

Ed Hunt:  How are you doing today going into your first practice at the Senior Bowl?

Justin Herron:  Good!  I’m excited!  I’m excited to be here.

Ed Hunt:  What are your biggest attributes?

Justin Herron:  My athleticism, foot quickness and hand usage.

Ed Hunt:  What are you trying to show the scouts here in Mobile?

Justin Herron:  I want to show the scout that I can play all the positions (on the offensive line) but also that I am a pretty good left tackle.

Ed Hunt:  Who was the hardest player you played against in the ACC?

Justin Herron:  Bradley Chubb, NC State.

Ed Hunt:  Did you match up against him?

Justin Herron:  Yeah, I matched up really well against him.

Ed Hunt:  Can you tell me what happened in the game between you and Bradley Chubb?

Justin Herron:  It was just a great effort on both sides.  He got me a couple times, but it was just a really good battle.  We never really gave up.  We both competed.  The minute the ball was snapped until the echo of the whistle, we both competed.

Ed Hunt:  Are you nasty on the field?

Justin Herron:  Yes, sir. 

Ed Hunt:  What have scouts been telling you about your game?

Justin Herron:  They’ve been telling me my athleticism is really, really good and my footwork is elite, and my hand usage sets me apart.  I’m mature.  I’m in my sixth year.

Ed Hunt:  What round does your agent say you are going to go in?

Justin Herron:  My agent is really good at keeping it real.  He doesn’t really know.  He doesn’t really know what round I am going to go in.  It depends on how I do here and how I do at the combine.

Ed Hunt:  What schools looked at you coming out of high school?

Justin Herron:  I was originally committed to Rutgers, but Penn State, Maryland, Old Dominion and Wake Forrest.  

Ed Hunt:  What make you choose Wake Forrest?

Justin Herron:  Education.  I got a great education, but I also knew that I could play early.  I could play on the edge.

Ed Hunt:  What was your major?

Justin Herron:  I was a double major in psychology and communications.

Ed Hunt:  Did you have a good GPA?

Justin Herron:  I did.  I had a 3.3 and then I got my masters last year.

Ed Hunt:  And what was your Masters in?

Justin Herron:  Liberal studies.

Ed Hunt:  Would you say you are a student of the game?

Justin Herron:  Yeah.

Ed Hunt:  Can you take me through what goes through your head pre-snap?

Justin Herron:  I’m looking at what’s going on in the defense.  What they are doing in the secondary.  The safeties, what type of rotation I am getting.  The linemen and linebackers.  Then, I tend to think where is my defensive end?  If it’s a three-technique, then I’m thinking about the snap count my way and my responsibility so that’s what I go through.

Ed Hunt:  That must be a huge bearing to be starting and playing major college football.  Can you give me a story or a tidbit about what that’s like?  Not every guy goes to the Senior Bowl as well.

Justin Herron:  You know it’s hard.  It’s a grunt.  It takes a lot of time management and prioritizing your time.  This past year, I didn’t really have a social life because of grad school when I was playing college football.  You have to make sacrifices and it’s hard.  I’m not going to say it’s harder than undergrad.  It’s really the same level.  I felt like freshman year is the hardest year playing college football, but you learn how to be mature and prioritize your time.