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Alex Khvatov: What are your
measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
LaRon Council:
5'10", 210, 4.6.
Alex Khvatov:
Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest
in you?
LaRon Council:
There were a few Division II schools that expressed
interest. I was looking at going to the Air Force. I was
looking at their engineering program really bad. They
showed interest.
Alex Khvatov:
How did you wind up at Northwest Missouri State?
LaRon Council:
When I came on my visit, it wasn't football season
anymore. I liked the atmosphere and the players right
away. RB Xavier Omon told me about the school's
tradition. I liked the coaching staff. I liked the
tradition here at the school.
Alex Khvatov:
LaRon, tell us more about the school.
LaRon Council:
Well, as far as football, it has a very rich history.
Coach Tjeerdsma has been here for about 15 years. He has
built a winning program. This program has made numerous
playoff appearances under his guidance. The school has
won two National Championships. We have a great
tradition and a great coaching staff here. The community
supports us. We have been to the National Championship
Game four years in a row, unfortunately we have lost
them all. We bring the biggest crowds whenever we play.
It shows how community supports the team.
Alex Khvatov:
What are your strengths on the football field?
LaRon Council:
I feel like it is probably my vision. I am also good at
catching the ball out of the backfield. I understand the
game of football. I know the schemes and I pick up
things really quickly. I am pretty good at blocking at
this level. My coaches tell me that I am good at making
cutbacks and that I am a lot better at it than most
players. I take pride in catching the ball out of the
backfield and being a dual threat.
Alex Khvatov:
What areas of your game do you need to improve upon?
LaRon Council:
First of all, I am working on my 40 time. I feel that I
will be able to run anywhere in the 4.4 and low 4.5
range. The biggest things that I need to work on is
making the transition from the lower level to the NFL. I
need to learn the playbook very quickly and the
different schemes. Blocking is going to be tough at the
next level because the players are going to be stronger.
Alex Khvatov:
Who is the one NFL player that you would compare your
game to?
LaRon Council:
I would probably compare my game to Maurice Jones-Drew.
For a smaller guy, he is very physical. He has good
vision just like me, and I like him for that. Another
guy is Ray Rice. I see myself in him. He is physical as
well for a smaller guy. He has shown this year that he
can catch the ball out of the backfield.
Alex Khvatov:
What is the highlight of your football career up to this
point?
LaRon Council:
Not many people know this, but I broke my leg the first
two seasons that I was at the school. It was the same
leg both times. The first time, it was a clean break. My
sophomore season, I had a hairline fracture. I take
great pride that I was able to come back and have
success during my junior season. I had nearly 1,800
yards last season. That was pretty unbelievable. I came
back when people had doubts about whether I can stay
healthy on this level. They wondered if I can make it
through the entire season. The big highlight for me was
coming back from those injuries and performing at a high
level.
Alex Khvatov:
You mentioned your very productive junior campaign,
describe that season for me in more detail.
LaRon Council:
I had a lot of pressure on me because I was trying to
fill Xavier Omon's shoes. It is not an easy task
considering that he is the all-time leading rusher in
Division II. People also wondered if I can come back
from the injury. As the season started, I kind of
forgotten about the two injuries and about Xavier Omon.
I had a great season. We were able to get back to the
National Championship Game for the fourth year in a row.
The team was clicking on all cylinders especially in the
playoffs until the Championship Game. I ended up with 37
TD's that year. I didn't look at the stats or TD's until
the end of the season. I got a lot of the
congratulations from coaches at the end of the season.
It was a good season all-around.
Alex Khvatov:
What is your favorite NFL team?
LaRon Council:
I am a Chiefs fan. I am from Kansas City. I have also
been a Ravens fan since Ray Lewis got there. Now I am an
even bigger Ravens fan with Ray Rice playing there.
Alex Khvatov:
Who is your favorite NFL player?
LaRon Council:
My favorite player of all-time is Jim Brown. I have
watched a lot of film on him. He is my favorite player.
Alex Khvatov:
The team has a 6-1 record so far, what can we expect
from the Bearcats the rest of the season? Will your team
finally win the Division II National Championship this
season?
LaRon Council:
Yeah, we can do it this year. It is going a lot like
last year. We are playing really good football right
now. I think that we will be clicking on all cylinders
come playoff time just like in previous years. We
started off rocky. We graduated four of the five
starting OL from last year. I am starting to see that
these guys are clicking right now. Defense is playing
good. We are doing well passing the ball. Come playoff
time, we will be ready to play our best football of the
season.
Alex Khvatov:
What can we expect from you the rest of the way?
LaRon Council:
You can expect for me to make plays whether it would be
catching or running with the football. I will make plays
whenever I have the ball in my hands and help the team
be successful.
Alex Khvatov:
Is
the NFL a dream or a reality at this point?
LaRon Council:
It was kind of a dream, but now it is becoming more of a
reality. I see a lot of small backs having success in
the NFL right now. I got a lot more work to do. Once you
get there, you got to perform. Getting there is a battle
coming from a small school, but I know that I could
compete at that level.
Alex Khvatov:
What are your hobbies?
LaRon Council:
I like to hang out with the guys, play video games and
do homework. I am always doing homework, and the guys
always joke with me about that. I don't have too much
free time.
Alex Khvatov:
How important is education for you?
LaRon Council:
It's huge to me. I need education because I have big
plans for the future. I need to be able to support my
family. I want to be educated. It is the number one
thing for me.
Alex Khvatov:
What do you want to do with your life after your
football career is over?
LaRon Council:
I am majoring in statistics. I want to go in that field
and excel in it. I will probably start working in a big
insurance firm and then open my own company someday.
Alex Khvatov:
Finish the sentence, LaRon Council is ....
LaRon Council:
A fun guy to be around and hard to dislike.
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