Name: Miles McCord
School: Rice University
Position: CB/DB
Height: 6-0
Weight: 175

Q: What goals did you set and/or accomplish in your final collegiate season? 

Prior to the season I set the goal of wanting to help our team go to our first bowl game since 2014. I also wanted to be seen as a great leader within my position room and on the team in its totality. We were able to accomplish that goal of going to a bowl and I was elected to the team’s Leadership Council prior to the season.

Q: What would your coaches and teammates say about the type of player you are?

My teammates and coaches would say I am a very smart and mature player. I am a player that always wants to know the why behind things. I am a player that knows everyone’s responsibility on the field and truly understands defense. I think this is apparent to them by how I attack meetings, ask questions, and study my opponents on my own.

Q: When you are studying film, what are the things you focus on to improve your game?

I really try to look at formations and understand what the offense likes to do in certain situations. I try and find tendencies such as, “Is the back to me or away from me?”, “What do they like after earned first downs?”, “When I’m in off-coverage and I can see the QB’s drop, what routes do they run from 1-step, 3-step, and 5-step?”, “Third down, what are their favorite concepts?”.In football, you’re in meetings more often than you’re on the field, so I think knowing these tendencies allows me to play faster and make more plays.

Q: What separates you from the other pro prospects at your position? 

My path to get here separates me from other prospects at my position. As a senior in HS, I played 8-man football and scored 28 TDs in 8 games. During my true freshman year I was turned away when I wanted to try out as a walk-on, I transferred to a JUCO and became a starter and did the same when I got to Rice. Logically, someone who plays 8-man football as a senior in HS should not be in this position but I think it’s a testament to how bad I want this. This, in combination with my knowledge of the game and my athleticism, sets me apart.

Q: What is your offseason plan to train and prepare for professional opportunities?

I’m finishing my master’s degree at Rice so I’ll be training in Houston with Hans Straub to continue to gain explosiveness and strength so I stay ready for all opportunities that may come my way.

Q: What kind of strengths and abilities will you bring to a team that will stand out both on and off the field?

I am a player that is a perfectionist and am very critical of myself. This mindset forces the best out of me which will always benefit the team. I am someone who wants to be coached hard so I can realize my full potential. Everyone on the team and in the building would describe me as an accountable and mature person which are necessary traits to have as a pro.

Q: What is your final pitch to the NFL and any other pro leagues?

My final pitch to the NFL is that through every step in my journey, I have made the most of my opportunities and have been successful. This step is no different. I have the confidence necessary and the mentality of wanting to improve and learn in everything that I do. I don’t envision myself as a long shot because I’ve proven to myself I’m not every time.