Jerraud Powers Interview
  
Cornerback - Auburn

By: Alex Khvatov

2/17/09
 

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

Jerraud Powers:  I am 5’9” and ¾ , 188 pounds and my last forty time was a 4.41.  
 

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

Jerraud Powers:  Auburn and all of the SEC schools except Florida, Georgia and LSU.  Louisville, Nebraska and Texas A&M.   

Alex Khvatov:   Why didn’t you choose Alabama since that is your home state?

Jerraud Powers:  I was going to commit there.  I visited Alabama and I liked it there.  When I left, I had every intention to commit.  Then next week I went to visit Auburn, and my whole mindset changed.
 

Alex Khvatov:  What made you choose the Auburn Tigers? 

Jerraud Powers:  The players and the staff were so close.  It was a family atmosphere.  It kind of reminded me of the way it was in high school.  Our high school team was very close, and Auburn showed me that. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  What were your expectations from a team and personal standpoint coming into this season?

Jerraud Powers:  We wanted to get to the National Championship.  We started off strong in the first couple of games.  We wanted to be the best every Saturday and get a win.
 

Alex Khvatov:  How would you rate your performance during your junior campaign?

Jerraud Powers:  I would rate it an 8 out of 10.  I had a pretty strong year.  My tackling and covering ability improved a lot.  I wasn’t perfect, but I played well.
 

Alex Khvatov:  Describe your 2008 season.  

Jerraud Powers:  It was a roller coaster ride.  We started off strong then hit a few bumps in the road.  We lost a couple of key games.  It was a season filled with a lot of ups and downs.
 

Alex Khvatov:  What did you decide to leave school early and enter the NFL Draft?

Jerraud Powers:  I mean, it was a dream of mine that I have been chasing since I started to play football at the age of five.  I wanted to make a decision on my own.  I talked to a lot of people and I wanted to get the most information about my draft status.  I prayed about and in the end I feel that I made the right decision.  I was 100% confident when I got content with it.
 

Alex Khvatov:  How are you preparing yourself for the Scouting Combine?

Jerraud Powers:  I am training two times s a day, six days a week with some of the best coaches and trainers around.  It is a good group of people here in Westlake, Ca at the Elite Athletics.  There a lot of West Coast guys here.  I have bonded with CB Coye Francies and QB Rudy Carpenter.

Alex Khvatov:  Describe your former head coach Tommy Tuberville.

Jerraud Powers:  He is a great guy that I loved playing for.  He would straight up with you and tell you everything that he thought about you.  He has a positive attitude and I don’t have bad things to say about him.  I loved playing for him.

Alex Khvatov:  Do you think underclassmen should be invited to the All-Star games?

Jerraud Powers:  I think so.  We are all in the same boat.  We all want to prove ourselves and compete against the best.  We should have our own Bowl Game or play with the seniors.   
 

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

Jerraud Powers:  My knowledge of the game, my smarts and my coverage ability. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your weaknesses?

Jerraud Powers:  I would say that I need to work on being quicker and faster and stronger. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  Playing at a high level in the SEC, what is the most memorable moment of your college career?

Jerraud Powers:  I would probably say the Florida game in 2006.  They were #2 in the country.  We were down by 10 points.  I blocked a punt and we scored on that play.  It brought the momentum back, and we didn’t look back.  We came back and won.  It stands out the most.
 

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the one cornerback in the NFL that you would compare your game to?

Jerraud Powers:  Probably Tye Hill.  We have the same size and attitude.  He goes every Sunday and proves his critics wrong about his size just like me.  Our games are similar.  I look up to him the most.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  What is the most important trait that a successful cornerback should possess? 

Jerraud Powers:  Confidence.  The main thing is confidence.  You can’t have lapses when you play at a high level.  You have to be confident in your technique.  You have to be confident in covering the guy in front of you. 
 

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Jerraud Powers:  Growing up, it was the Cowboys.  Now it is the Ravens.  I like their defense.  They have passion and intensity and fun as a whole.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite player?

Jerraud Powers:  Ed Reed.  He is a ballhawk.  It is fun to watch him play.  It seems like every play, he is around the ball.   

 
Alex Khvatov:  Who is the toughest player that you have faced during your career?

Jerraud Powers:  Probably have to say “Buster” Davis or Dwayne Bowe out of LSU.  I played against them my freshman year.  It was my first game starting and I faced those guys.  It was challenging.       
 

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

Jerraud Powers:  Nicko Thorpe.  He played as a freshman.  He is from Georgia.  He is got a lot of skills.  He should develop into a tough cornerback.    
 

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

Jerraud Powers:  I enjoy being out there on the field.  You can be one guy that makes the play.  It is exciting.  You face those one on one situations and you have the opportunities to make plays because of the position.    
 

Alex Khvatov:  Does it matter to you where you are picked in the NFL Draft?

Jerraud Powers:  I think in a way it matters.  But it is still just blessing to get drafted anywhere.  As long as I get in there, I will be fine.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  Do you plan to go back to school and eventually get your degree? 

Jerraud Powers:  Yeah, I was supposed to graduate in May.  I had to take one class.  I am going to take this one class online and be able to graduate one way or another.   
 

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

Jerraud Powers:  I like to coach at the high school level.  I want to pursue something like that and keep myself around the game.  I want t be closer to my family because I know how much time college coaches and even NFL coaches spent away from their families.  I would enjoy high school coaching the most.     
 

Alex Khvatov:  What are your hobbies?

Jerraud Powers:  I like to hang out with my friends.  I like to play video games.  NCAA Football 2009 is the best game by far.  I like to go out and shop.  I like to keep active.    
 

Alex Khvatov:  What makes you unique?

Jerraud Powers:  What makes me unique is everybody thinks that I am huge on film.  When they see me in person, they realize that I am not that big.  My image is unique to people.
 

Alex Khvatov:  If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why?  

Jerraud Powers:  Probably my mother’s father.  I heard a lot of stories about him.  I never met him, so I would like to catch up with him.    
 

Alex Khvatov:  Finish the sentence, Jerraud Powers is….

Jerraud Powers:  On the field, he is a tough nosed football player.  He would add a lot to a defense.  He would be able to contribute in a lot of ways.  Off-the-field, I am very laid back.  I am outgoing and entertaining.