Donnie Corley
Wide Receiver / Texas Southern
Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Donnie Corley: I am 6’3, 205 and low 4.4.
Alex Khvatov: How were you preparing for the 2020 season with no offseason training?
Donnie Corley: I have been focusing on my releases. I also will play both ways this year. I will play receiver and DB. I have been working out four times a week at All-EN sports facility in Houston, Texas. We do weights and a lot of movement drills. We repot back on July 28th to Texas Southern.
Alex Khvatov: Besides football, what other sports did you play in high school?
Donnie Corley: I ran track and played basketball. I stopped running track and playing basketball my junior year. I was focusing on the seven on seven camps in football.
Alex Khvatov: What positions did you play in high school?
Donnie Corley: I played WR, corner, safety, and kick returner.
Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?
Donnie Corley: I had about 55 offers. My final schools were Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Tennessee.
Alex Khvatov: How did you wind up at Michigan State?
Donnie Corley: They showed a lot of interest in me early in the process. LSU and Alabama offered me, but they came late in the process. It was close to home. My parents and my grandma can come and watch me play. They also went to the Cotton bowl the year before. They lost five receivers the year before. I knew that I could play early.
Alex Khvatov: Tell us about your career with the Spartans.
Donnie Corley: It is kind of a love and hate relationship with the team. The older guys didn’t like the younger guys who came in. We had a lot of hype behind us. I had a pretty good time. I liked my coaches and they helped me out during my time. I started my second game against Notre Dame. It got me a lot of confidence. I was first team freshman All-American. I had a good year as a true freshman. I had 30 catches for 400 or 500 yards.
Alex Khvatov: What have you learned from the situation after you were dismissed from the team?
Donnie Corley: I had to put myself in a better situation. I need to think and be smarter. I have respect for myself and other people. I trusted my faith. I matured a lot. I make way smarter decisions now. I always think about the consequences. I went to a community college. My family and coaches supported me.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you transfer to JUCO?
Donnie Corley: I was trying to get into some bigger schools, but I wasn’t able to. I went to Coahoma community college in Mississippi. It was an eye opener to see the struggles. I realized what I had at Michigan State. It brought me back to earth. I grew up there. I spent one season with the team.
Alex Khvatov: How did you eventually wind up at Texas Southern?
Donnie Corley: I pretty much had all of the SWAC schools. WR coach Johnson was at Kansas and he came to Texas Southern. He was a great coach. I signed because of him and then he left three days later for Houston.
Alex Khvatov: How would you describe your junior season?
Donnie Corley: The whole season was a rollercoaster. We had to change the mentality of the team. The team has the right mindset now. We had a lot of chances to win a lot of games. We were close and lost by a few points in a couple of games. We had two OT games. I did alright, but I left a lot of plays on the field.
Alex Khvatov: What can we expect from your team this upcoming season?
Donnie Corley: Expect us to win the SWAC championship. We have been working hard. Last year, a couple of plays could have gone different. The coaches want the same thing for us. We are on board. I will try to do the best that I can for the team. I want to play corner for the team as well.
Alex Khvatov: Tell us about making the transition to CB and your desire to play both ways this year.
Donnie Corley: I am not trying to come off the field. They don’t have me starting at corner. I am a backup. If the coaches need me there, I will do whatever it takes. I played cornerback at Michigan State against Michigan during my freshman year. I have been talking with my head coach about putting me at corner in the game.
Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths?
Donnie Corley: My main strength is getting the ball while it is in the air. I also bring the energy to the team. I make plays and encourage my teammates. I work very hard. Also my speed and being a deep threat. I can play multiple positions. I can run every route on the field.
Alex Khvatov: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
Donnie Corley: I need to go hard every play even when the ball doesn’t go my way. I also need to catch the ball with my hands and stretch it away from my body. I can work on everything.
Alex Khvatov: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Donnie Corley: The highlight of my career is probably the Notre Dame catch. I caught the ball 40+ yards for the TD in the first or second quarter. I took the ball away from the DB. When I caught the ball, I settled down in the game. I gained confidence by moving forward that season.
Alex Khvatov: What is your favorite NFL team?
Donnie Corley: The Lions whenever they play, but I don’t have a favorite team.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?
Donnie Corley: I have two players. Julio Jones is a freak of nature. No one can stop him. Deion Sanders changed the game. He made so many plays. He invented a pick six. He played a lot of positions.
Alex Khvatov: What players on your team should we keep an eye on for this upcoming season?
Donnie Corley: We definitely have a great QB Devin Williams. He makes me who I am. He puts the ball in great spots. He is a great leader. #5 WR Thurman Morbley makes a lot of plays. He plays the slot. LB Sherry Durand was a JUCO transfer from Tyler, Texas. He is more comfortable this year. He works out with me.
Alex Khvatov: Who is the best player that you have faced on an opposing team?
Donnie Corley: I played against Jourdan Lewis and Jabrill Peppers from Michigan. Mike Weber and J.T. Barrett from Ohio State.
Alex Khvatov: What is the most important trait for a WR?
Donnie Corley: Coming down with the ball. Nothing else matters.
Alex Khvatov: What do you enjoy most about football?
Donnie Corley: The relationships with my teammates. I have met so many different people. I want to give back to the game of football. Also, it clears my mind by being on the field.
Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?
Donnie Corley: I play video games. My sister is a painter, and I give her new ideas. I love to see her paintings. It is her business, but I try to help her out.
Alex Khvatov: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Donnie Corley: I want to open up a gym somewhere in the Detroit area. I want to help out kids that don’t have a lot of money. I want to help them with resources and tutors. Some of them don’t have homes or a father figure. I want to help all age groups.
Alex Khvatov: What five words best describe you?
Donnie Corley: Dedicated, loyal, unselfish, leader, and humble.
