Alex Khvatov:  What were your expectations from a team and an individual standpoint coming into the 2008 season?

Gerald Cadogan:  From a team standpoint, the goal was to win the Big Ten.  We used last year as a spring board.  Personally, a goal of mine was to go out and dominate the line of scrimmage and leave it all out on the field.    
 

Alex Khvatov:  Describe your senior season at Penn State.       

Gerald Cadogan:  A lot of hard work, extra film work and studying as an offensive line unit all went into it.  We bought into the program, and everyone knew what we were capable of.                                                                                                                             

Alex Khvatov:  Did you ever expect that your team was going to finish the season with an 11-1 record and win the Big Ten?

Gerald Cadogan:  Going into the season and looking at the schedule, we knew that we were capable of winning all of those games.  We fell short in one of the games.  I definitely deem this season as a success.

Alex Khvatov:  What was the most memorable game for you this season?

Gerald Cadogan:  I would say the Ohio State game that we won on the road and the Michigan State game that officially made us the Big Ten Champs are the two games that are most memorable.
 

Alex Khvatov:  Penn State is going to be facing USC in the Rose Bowl, is your team ready for that type of challenge?

Gerald Cadogan:  Yeah, we are definitely ready.  We have been preparing for two weeks already.  We have been running and lifting.  Basically, we are doing the same things that we were doing back in the off-season.  We are working hard.  We want to go to Pasadena and win that game.

Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?

Gerald Cadogan:  6’6”, 315 and I recorded a 5.07 forty time in the summer.
 

Alex Khvatov:  Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?

Gerald Cadogan:  Penn State and all of the Big Ten schools.

Alex Khvatov:  What made you choose Penn State?

Gerald Cadogan:  I came here because of the tradition and the loyalty that this program has been known for.

Alex Khvatov:  What did it feel like to play for Coach Joe Paterno throughout your college career?

Gerald Cadogan:  It has had a tremendous impact on me.  I have learned a lot from him about discipline.  He taught us all about tough discipline and self control on and off-the-field.

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths on the football field?

Gerald Cadogan:  Personally, I am smart player.  I read blitzes well.  I am fairly athletic as an OL.

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game do you need to improve upon?  

Gerald Cadogan:  I would say my overall strength.  I have improved upon my lower and upper body strength.  I am continuing to work on that.  

Alex Khvatov:  What will you have to do in order to make NFL roster?

Gerald Cadogan:  I have the trust in God.  I have the ability to further my development.  I have to work on my strength and work on my footwork, technique, leverage and flexibility.

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Gerald Cadogan:  The Bengals.  I grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio which is about a couple of hours from where the Bengals play.  I grew up watching the Bengals and it is a dream of mine to play for the Bengals.

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite player?

Gerald Cadogan:  I would say Levi Brown.  He went to Penn State.  He mentored me.  I always admired his work ethic.  I see that he has gotten much bigger now which shows his work ethic.  I want to be able to emulate him on and off the field. 

Alex Khvatov:  Who are the toughest players that you have faced during your career?

Gerald Cadogan:  Tim Jamison from Michigan is definitely a great DE.  Greg Middleton from Indiana is another tough player.  But I have to say the guys that I face in practice, our Penn State guys are on top of my list.       

Alex Khvatov:  Which underclassmen on your team should we keep an eye on in the future?

Gerald Cadogan:  I would say two offensive linemen DeOn’tae Pannell and Johnnie Troutman.  Stephfon Green has great speed and is explosive.   

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about playing football?

Gerald Cadogan:  Being able to bite someone’s head off.  It is the one place where you can be aggressive and you can legally hit somebody.  The best part is trying to dominate somebody.       
 

Alex Khvatov:  How will you prepare for the upcoming draft?

Gerald Cadogan:  I intend to do the same thing that everyone else.  I plan to go to a training facility and prepare for the Combine and the Pro Day.  It is all about the mindset and focus. 

Alex Khvatov:  You have been named an Academic All-American and you have held a consistently high GPA in your time at Penn State, what does education mean to you?

Gerald Cadogan:  Getting an education is a big reason I came to Penn State.  Football and education is Joe Paterno’s philosophy and they go hand in hand.  One of the main reasons, I came here is academic excellence. 

Alex Khvatov:  What do you plan to do with your life after football?

Gerald Cadogan:  I received a psychology degree at Penn State.  I want to go back to school and become a counseling psychologist.  I want to talk, mentor and counsel high school kids.  

Alex Khvatov:  What kind of role does God play in your life?

Gerald Cadogan:  God plays a tremendous part in my life.  He has opened doors for me from day one.  I want to keep him as a focal point in my life and I am sure that he will continue to guide me through it.

Alex Khvatov:  What makes you unique?

Gerald Cadogan:  I think that I might not be the fastest player.  But my high school coach always told me to never let anyone outwork you, hustle and put all in into it.  My all out play separates me from all of the others and this goes into different facets of my life including education.

Alex Khvatov:  If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be and why?

Gerald Cadogan:  My grandfather.  He passed away before I was born.  I would love to sit down and have a nice dinner with him.  I heard that he was a great man. 

Alex Khvatov:  I heard that you are quite a musician; tell me more about that part of your life. 

Gerald Cadogan:  Yeah, I am very much into music.  I sing and write music.  It is Christian based lyrics with a little R&B and pop.  I was in a band.  I have a solid background as far as playing music and writing.  Maybe after football, I would get into music. 

Alex Khvatov:  What do you like to do in your free time?  

Gerald Cadogan:  I like reading science material.  Discovery Channel has some good shows.  

Alex Khvatov:  Finish the sentence, Gerald Cadogan is….

Gerald Cadogan:  On the field, I am aggressive and hard-working.  I am genuine off-the-field, what you see is what you get