Green Bay Packers 2017 Draft: Interview with Maryland RB Trey Edmunds

Q: You had a strong showing at your pro day yesterday (March 15). How did that all work out? Take me through the process?

A: As we all know, I was injured throughout this last half season while I was the University of Maryland. But I was able to take care of that pretty quickly. The staff there was very reactive to it. They were able to give the proper treatment I needed and it translated to when I left Maryland and went to train down in Chantilly, VA with Justin Kavanaugh and his staff at The Sports Speed Institute.

Those guys were also very reactive to the situation at hand and were also very aware of what I needed to get done in the time frame in which I needed to get it all done. So, I had a lot of good people in my corner along with my family. Dr. (Craig) Bennett actually performed the surgery, so I would like to thank him.

Once I finally got cleared, it was just uphill from there. I was able to learn the mechanics of some of my drills and I was able to tighten some mechanics of how to run my 40 and just being able to get back to being a football player again.

Q: How many teams were in attendance yesterday and what types of questions were they asking you?

A: They had representatives from all 32 teams. Some teams had more than one representative. They were asking all types of questions, such as where I’m from, my family background. They wanted to know what the transition was like with me switching from Virginia Tech to Maryland. They wanted to know why I loved the game of football so much. They also wanted to know what else I did besides football. [They asked] in case football didn’t work out, where else would I be?

They wanted know my injury history and talk about the early part of my career. They also asked about the beginning of the 2016 regular season at Maryland. It was a wide range of questions that they asked, but I think I was pretty much ready for anything that they threw my way?

Q: You were off to a hot start when you first started seeing action in Blacksburg. You scored 10 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman and you ran all over Alabama. Those were some definite highlights right there. But then the injuries began to haunt you. Can you describe some of the obstacles you had to get through?

A: I had a couple of injuries that set me back along the way that kind of derailed my process of getting to this point right now. However, it never stopped me as a whole. I was able to come back and fully recover from each and every one of my injuries. One good thing that I will say and I will continue to harp on is that I never had any ligament damage or any joint damage or anything like that.

Everything that I fought and everything I’ve encountered was all bone-related, so they were all clean breaks and they were fully healed within a time frame. There was never anything where I lost any strength in any of my joints or ligaments.

Of course, it had an impact on my success along the way coming off a hot start my freshman year and then having injury after injury. So, it was all in God’s timing—I’m a firm believer in that. I wouldn’t say it was bad luck because I’m not really a believer in good luck or in bad luck, so it was all in God’s plan. He had different plans for me. His plan was for me to have those injuries to make me a better person, which I am right now and he allowed me to see things differently from an athlete’s standpoint and from a personal standpoint.

So, I don’t regret anything that happened, but, of course, we never wish injuries upon ourselves. But I think I made the best out of every situation. The good thing is I’m 100-percent healed from all of them and I don’t have any problems with them now. So, I don’t think there will be any chronic problems down the line and I think I’m going to be fine.

Q: Why did you decide to transfer to Maryland right before spring practice sessions in 2016? Was this due to the new coaching staff coming in?

A: Actually, I decided to transfer before the winter session, so I made my decision in late December, early January. It was before I did any workouts with the new staff. It definitely wasn’t because of the new staff. I definitely want to take my hat off to them since they did wonderful things this year.

There are a lot of great guys on that staff. I got to meet a lot of them early on and I met the rest of them yesterday. I have a lot of love for the staff and a lot of respect for them. I respect their craft and I respect their resumes. The decision I made to move on was the best possible opportunity for me to put myself in position to—or have a chance to—reach the next level. That’s all it was; it was nothing personal.

Q: Talk about Trey Edmunds the player if you will? Would you say your No. 1 asset is your speed?

A:  I actually think I’m a combination of speed and power. You know, I’m classified as one of the bigger backs. So being that I’m about 223-225 pounds. Along with that power, I have speed. I think those are my strengths. I can run between the tackles and can run tight zone and deep zone. But also, I’m able to stretch it out on sweeps on outside zones and wide zones.

So, I’m able to switch it up. You have to be ready for both aspects. I’m the type of guy that can outrun you, but I’m also going to be able to lower my shoulder and run you over.

Q: You definitely put up some nice film during the Logan Thomas days. You have a knack of slipping through small creases. What’s your mindset when your number is called on 3rd-and-1 at the 1-yard line?

A: My parents always taught me to never be denied. So, I just took that with me throughout my whole football career. Since I was playing little league football. My mindset is there’s me and this other guy. He wants to make sure I don’t get to the line and my job is to lower my shoulder or do whatever I have to do or run wherever I have to run. My job is not to be denied, so I just take it and pretend I’m a bowling ball and do all I can to get to that point and don’t stop till I’m there.

Q: You ran a 4.47 40 yesterday. What were your vertical, bench and three-cone numbers?

A: The vertical was 34.5 (inches). My bench reps were 24. As for the three-cone, I’m not exactly sure.

Q: Watching you in action, I see that you’re not a one-speed runner. Did you get that ability from playing other sports as a youth?

A: When I was younger, I played all sports along with baseball and soccer. My parents wanted to make sure I familiarized myself with all the games just to see what I liked best. But, you know, as I got older, and started going to high school, my three main sports were basketball, football and track. In high school, I was the 200-meter all-state champion, so that would probably explain the speed you’re talking about. The ability to go from a slower step and then accelerate much faster was from [my time] on the track. I had a good sports career in high school generally speaking.

Q: I know you and your brothers all played for the Hokies at the same time at one point. All three of you played under former coach Frank Beamer. What was it like having such a legendary coach?

A: First and foremost, I want to thank coach Beamer and his whole coaching staff for giving us the opportunity to play there. He came to recruit me while I was in high school. I had two younger brothers and he also offered them a spot. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be the player I am, so I want to thank him for that.

Coach Beamer is an icon. He’s a legend. His resume, accolades and awards speak for themselves. So, I can say that it was just a dream come true for a guy from Virginia…playing for coach Beamer. So, when it was my turn, I wanted to do well when coach Beamer gave me an opportunity to play. It was one of the best experiences of my life…for me and for them…and for our parents. I just want to thank him for that and my time playing for him was great.

Q: Going into your offseason, besides making a full recovery from your foot, what was your No. 1 goal in terms of getting bigger, faster, stronger, etc.?

A:  A lot of things were geared toward my testing at my pro days. I knew they were coming up and I knew I had to produce big numbers in order for my name to be placed back on the market. And for me not to be not considered a sleeper anymore, I knew I had to have big numbers for that. So, pretty much I was trying to get leaner; trying to get rid of the extra body fat I had. I wanted to be more agile and lighter on my feet…but I didn’t want to be lighter when I got off the scale.

That allowed me to get bulkier, but look cut as well. My numbers on the bench press showed my worth and my 40 as well. You know, I was able to run fast, but still maintain my weight and be strong. So, I definitely think I looked good in my drills and in the way I caught the ball yesterday. I thought I was pretty good running all of my routes. So, my big goal in the offseason was just to produce big numbers in my [first] pro day and I plan on doing something on Maryland’s pro day.

Q: You already have your bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism. Do you already know what you will be focusing on in life after football?

A: Right now, I’m working on my master’s at the University of Maryland. I’m working on an architectural master’s in real estate development, so I could get into the real estate business at some point in my life.

Q: One former Hokie who saw his career cut short was David Wilson. Do you ever get a chance to pick his brain about getting ready for the next level?

A:  Yeah, I definitely did. He’s a guy I watched play his entire life. I watched him when he was younger. I watched him in high school and I watched him in college. I even watched him during his short career in the pros. I have a lot of respect for that guy not only for what he did on the field, but for I respect him for he does off the field. He’s a better person than he is athlete…and we all know what a great athlete he is.

But he just would tell me some things I needed to work on. I know that there were many times where we would play a game and he would catch me afterwards or send me a message of some sort after the game to say, “you need to do this better” or improve a particular part of my game. Whenever a guy you looked up to is able to give you advice or give you pointers and little things to help you improve your game, you’ll always take that and run with it. Just hearing it from a guy like that, a guy that came from the same area as me, I would say I was very appreciative of that and it’s something I’ll never take for granted.

Q: How much do you enjoy playing special teams?

A: Special teams is very important to me especially because, believe it or not, a lot of guys don’t want to play it just because throughout the game, you get beat up. It’s a part of the game where you may not play a lot of offensive people. However, I enjoyed special teams because I was a linebacker in high school and I enjoyed tackling.

A lot of these positions on special teams is the only way I can still go out there and make those tackles—things you can’t do on offense. When you’re running up and down the field, trying to make guys miss, I actually take pride in that. I would play around with other teammates to see which one of us would run out there and get the most tackles in a game or who could escape these many blocks. So, special teams is something I definitely take pride in. I hope to play special teams at the next level. I plan to and I’m going to prepare to.

Q: What can you share about the influence of your father, Ferrell, who actually played in the NFL?

A: My father did that every step of the way…him and my mother (Felecia) both. My mother was a track athlete as well. She went to Southern Illinois University and she put up outstanding numbers herself. With a background of parents that had already done it, it kind of produced a path in which we had to accept at an early age.

You know, our parents never forced anything upon us, but with their God-given ability, their hard work, determination and mindset , they kind of put us in the position we’re in now. Our dad gave us a lot of wisdom along the way. He was able to help with a lot of things that a lot of people just don’t know about simply because he’d been there and he did it. He’d seen everything that could come at you at every level of football.

So, he’s not a guy who talks about what he heard, but he’s talking from experience. I think experience is the best teacher because you can’t beat it—it’s the honest truth. The thing he had to do is accept it and work towards being tougher. My mother also gave us pointers and telling us what she saw. I think they were some of my greatest coaches I ever had.

Q: Do you see yourself being more of zone or power-scheme running back?

A: I think I can adapt to either one. I’ve actually had a mixture of both back in college. I’m familiar with both schemes. I’m sure that the schemes at the next level aren’t that much different except maybe with the verbiage they call their plays with. The main thing is getting in there and learning the playbook.

Q: Do you watch a lot of the Packers and would you describe yourself as more of a Ty Montgomery or Eddie Lacy type of back?

A: I do watch the Packers. I think, for me, I would say I’m more of a Lacy-type back. But, in the grand scheme of things, I can be a mixture of Lacy and Montgomery.

Q: If you could throw a couple of names out there, who are a few pro running backs you get a kick out of watching on Sundays?

A: Since you mentioned Lacy, I’ve been watching him since he was in college and he’s one of the best in the league right now. I also enjoy Adrian Peterson a lot. I enjoy watching Devonta Freeman from the Falcons. I really like his running style. I also like Ezekiel Elliott. He was a guy who stepped right in and had instant success in the league. At the professional level, he’s doing the same things he did in college. And he’s just unbelievable. I like DeMarco Murray too; he’s one of my guys.

Q: Here are some non-football questions. What was your favorite pre-game ritual in college in terms things you did to help you get geeked up for a game?

A: For me, I tried not to make the game more than it was. I tried to accept the game for what it was. I would always watch some type of comedy special on my iPad because it loosened my body up and it loosened my mind. It allowed me to laugh just before I would go out and stretch before the game. My favorite comedian is Mike Epps. I would often watch one of his stand-up comedy shows along with some other guys.

Q: What is your favorite meal?

A: My favorite meal would have to be—and it’s not healthy at all—fried chicken with macaroni and cheese. Having a family with a southern background with all that southern cooking, they really know how to throw down in the kitchen with the fried chicken with the mac and cheese, although I don’t eat it often during the season.

Q: What is Trey Edmunds watching on TV when he’s lounging out in his living room?

A: Believe it or not, I’m a big cartoon guy. I like to watch cartoons and feel like a kid again. I’m either watching the Cartoon Network or I’ll catch some 90’s Nickelodeon cartoons. But when I’m not watching cartoons, I’ll catch Martin.

Q: If I handed you two free plane tickets, where would you want to travel to?

A: One place would be the Dominican Republic since I always wanted to go there. A couple of friends have been there and I’ve seen pictures. It looks beautiful there. The sky’s always clear; the water’s always clear. It just looks like a relaxing place. The second one would be Dubai. It also looks like a relaxing spot. And also Africa would be another spot being that it is the motherland. I would just go see the culture there and see how they overcame real struggles and realize how we in the United States are blessed and fortunate.

Q: If I asked you to rattle off three or four words that best describe you as an individual, a player and a teammate, what would they be?

A: Respectful, humble, hardworking and competitive.

Ralph: Trey, thanks for the time. Best of luck on your next pro day. I’ll be rooting for you.

Trey: Thank you and I appreciate your time.

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