Now that bowl season is over, we look forward to seeing athletes prepare for the NFL Draft. The time of the year where dreams come true or get shattered. I got a chance to speak with Tyson Fernandez who is a 6-3 320-pound senior defensive lineman out of Appalachian State. Fernandez is looking to help a franchise at the next level as he showcases his skills in tomorrow’s Tropic Bowl in Daytona Beach, FL.
When choosing colleges, why Appalachian State? What were your other choices?
“App State just felt like home to me. They had tradition and knew the value of hard work. I wanted to win and that was the place to be. I could have been at Coastal Carolina or Liberty, but I decided on App.”
What is the main reason you are playing in this All-Star Game?
“The main reason why I’m here is to show what I’m about. Show these scouts and all 32 NFL teams what I can do for them. I play DT/OG and I just want a chance to play.”
What do you want to get out of this game?
“What I want to get out of this game is the feeling that I gave my all. It’s a great starting point intto my training that I will be doing in Dallas.”
Define your most encouraging and your stressful/rock bottom moment during your college career?
“Most encouraging moment would have to be when I switched to defense and started after learning the defense in a week. My most stressful moment would be freshman year when I broke my foot. I thought my whole world was over.”
Is there any NFL player you compare your game to?
“Vince Wilfork.”
What is the biggest thing you want to improve on in your game for the next level?
“I wanna be able to clog the middle. Increase my ability to learn the game. I started playing my sophomore year in high school. So I wanna learn more and be a sponge.”
This is great stuff Tyson one more question. I know it’s early but What NFL team(s) do you think you could help?
“To be honest, probably the Jets. I want to help them succeed since that is my favorite team.”
At the end of the day, Fernandez just wants an opportunity to show the world that he belongs in the NFL. Coming from a school like Appalachian State, you may not always face the toughest competition, what matters, however, is that you endure through the process and succeed. Fernandez has endured the college process, now he’ll look to succeed the combine process.
Photo Courtsey of journalnow.com