Mazzi Wilkins
Cornerback
USF

 

Ed Hunt:  What are your measurements? (Height, Weight and 40 time)

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I’m 6’1, 183.  I don’t know my 40 time, but I’m planning on clocking 4.4’s at my pro day.

 

Ed Hunt:  I read in the Washington Post that you received death threats after injuring McKenzie Milton.  Can you tell me what that was like?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  It was a hectic experience.  It opened my eyes to what is to come.  I don’t play to injure anybody.  I talked with McKenzie Milton and he is a stand-up guy.  We resolved the issue, and I think he thinks I’m a stand-up guy too.

 

Ed Hunt:  Are you better on the inside or the outside?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I’m an all-around corner.  I can play either.

 

Ed Hunt:  What positions can you play?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I can play any position in the secondary.  Some packages in high school required me to go to safety.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is the best player you have faced on an opposing team?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Dalvin Cook

 

Ed Hunt:  Coming out of high school, which schools showed interest in you?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I had USF, UCF and Indiana.  I had quite a bit of offers coming out of high school.

 

Ed Hunt:  What made you ultimately choose South Florida?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I’m from Tampa, born and raised.  I remember watching them.  It just felt like home.  I had good connections.

 

Ed Hunt:  What are your strengths?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I’m an overall player.  I can play inside, outside, press and man.

 

Ed Hunt:  What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Really just trying to put on some extra weight and add flexibility.

 

Ed Hunt:  Describe your overall career.

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  It had a lot of bumps in the road.  My freshman year, I was primarily a special teams’ player.  The best word to describe my career was resilience.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is the highlight of your career at this point?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Just being in a program where we all came together to bring the team to improve.  It was a great turnaround.

 

Ed Hunt:  I noticed you are a good open field tackler.  What do you attribute this to?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I feel like tackling is all want to.  If the play is coming to me, money is either coming in my pocket or out of my pocket.

 

Ed Hunt:  What have you learned the most from your coaching staff?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I learned a lot.  One thing is to trust the process.  I learned so much about defense.  I learned that the game is about playing mentally.

 

Ed Hunt:  Is there a role you have played on special teams thus far in your career?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I played kickoff.  On punt, I was a gunner, and corner on punt returns.  I was a four-phase special teamer.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is your favorite NFL team?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  I was more fascinated by the players.  I love football and regardless of the team, I was going to watch.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is your favorite NFL player?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I really have three.  Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson and Aqib Talib.

 

Ed Hunt:  What’s the most important trait for a cornerback?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Confidence.

 

Ed Hunt:  Before the ball is snapped, what tendencies are you looking for in that offense?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I’m reading my keys.  I’m looking at formation.  I’m going through the Rolodex of the film I watched.

 

Ed Hunt:  What players on your team should we keep an eye on for next season?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Terrence Horne, Johnny Ford, Jordan Cronkrite, Mike Hampton, Randall St. Felix and Bentlee Sanders.

 

Ed Hunt:  What do you enjoy most about football?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I enjoy the bond and brotherhood.  Everyone has to do their one job to win.  I love watching film.  It is basically a statistics class.  Then when you play, it is going out and perfecting your craft.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who is your biggest role model and why?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  My best friend, Anthony Dean Jr.  We grew up together.  He instilled in me that I was going to be the greatest cornerback.

 

Ed Hunt:  What is your definition of a leader?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  It’s a fine line.  It is somebody who is always doing the right thing.  You have to have a personality and bond with each person.  Iron sharpens iron.

 

Ed Hunt:  What do you want to do with your life after football?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  I want to become a firefighter.

 

Ed Hunt:  What five words best describe you?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Tough, super competitive, leader, easy-going and laid back.

 

Ed Hunt:  Who will win the Super Bowl next year?

 

Mazzi Wilkins:  Whatever team I am on.  I would like to see the Baltimore Ravens.  I like Lamar Jackson.