Last year, after watching him all week at Senior Bowl practice, I sat here and emphasized the talent and technique Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland had oozing out his football pads. I did this while many chose to throw him into the thick pile of undersized players that wouldn’t be able to make the transition from college to the pros due to their lack of measurable’s needed at the next level. It doesn’t happen often, but last season Borland proved me right and made me look good reiterating again that in some cases it’s important to realize when to throw the height, weight, and speed out the window.
Senquez Golson is battling the same image crisis as he goes through the NFL draft process trying to shake the label of being too small to have the same impact in the NFL as he did in college. The Ole Miss cornerback measured in early Tuesday mourning at just 5’8” 178 pounds, but led the SEC with 10 interceptions, showing off an incredible array of ball-hawking skills.
I had the rare opportunity to sit down with Golson during the 2015 Senior Bowl where we discussed an plethora of topics covering both on-and-off the field.
Right off the bat, Golson’s combination of personality mixed with humbleness shined through for one of the best sit downs I had during my time in Mobile, Alabama, like when he was admit about giving all the credit to his defensive supporting cast for his success in 2014.
Senquez and myself talked about the difficulty of transitioning to the Senior Bowl on short notice, with little time to get acclimated to the new surroundings, while 32 teams’ scouts and coaching over analyze their every move. However, he also went on to note the tremendous job the coaching staffs do at making sure players aren’t overwhelmed with the playbook and make the transition as smooth as possible.
Some of Golson’s most intriguing answers and my biggest take aways came when he was asked about; where he is best suited to play in the NFL, reflecting at his collegiate career and the relationships that blossomed, the mental aspect of football (and life), and some of the biggest and best competition he faced in the SEC conference.
Golson even let me into a few brief moments of his childhood and what kind of perspectives he had on things back then like his favorite team growing up, who he modeled his game as a cornerback after and inspired to be like, and even his go-to Madden team (and player) that made him virtually unstoppable on the sticks.
No extra effects are need when taping Golson as his personality can light up any room with his calm, humble, and positive outlook on life, making it easy to see why his confidence shines so bright on-and-off the field. While he will be the first to admit that his size and height specifically could limit how teams view him at the next level, what Golson lacks in the physical measurables is what he gains in understanding how to play the game the right way with a “we” not “me” team attitude.
Golson is being viewed as a inside or nickel cornerback pushing his draft projection further than some of his peers, yet even so in a pass happy league teams are in high demand for more talent in their secondary, making him a lock to hear his name called within the first three rounds.
So far so good for the 2014 SEC leader in interceptions as he solidified and confirmed what many scouts already knew heading into the 2015 Senior Bowl, which is Golson is a smart instinctual player that always finds a way to get his hands on the ball. And as many many people know, those unique and rare ball-skills are something that can’t be taught, and will be a valuable asset for whatever team is lucky enough to draft him this April in Chicago, Illinois.
Just one piece to the puzzle however, so keep tabs on Golson as he continues his path to the draft with the next events in line, such as the NFL Combine and his pro day at the University of Mississippi.
Follow Luke Inman on Twitter @Luke_Spinman