Green Bay Packers 2017 Draft: Q&A with Middle Tennessee State CB Jeremy Cutrer
Growing up in New Orleans’ crime-ridden 7th Ward was no Shangri-La for a young Jeremy Cutrer and neither was running for shelter during the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina back in the summer in 2005, but the self-proclaimed “underground savage” has made a habit of persevering despite the obstacles and will soon reap the rewards of his survival efforts with several NFL teams vying for his services in the upcoming draft.
Like many youngsters living out their formative years in the Gulf Coast region, Cutrer yearned becoming the next Reggie Bush or Marques Colston of the hometown New Orleans Saints and he planned to do so by taking the local route and accepting a much-coveted scholarship offer from the SEC powerhouse LSU Tigers.
The lanky defensive back had established himself as one of the fiercest safeties in the state at Jewel Sumner High in Kentwood, La. He was, in fact, ranked as high as No. 16 at his position nationally and also considered the No. 6 athlete overall in the state.
However, academic issues stood in the way of the young man wearing the purple and gold and found himself, instead, rerouted to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where he would presumably bide his time and continue playing football, albeit on a much smaller scale, while earning enough credits to join his fellow standout student athletes Tre’ Davious White and Jamal Adams among others in Baton Rouge.
But the road to Tiger Stadium would once again be obstructed by a technicality, as the university reportedly refused to accept Cutrer’s credits from an online course.
The aspiring NFL pro was stunned at the unexpected turn of events and spent months stewing over the school’s decision to turn him away and, in essence, shatter his dreams of emerging as an in-state figure of prominence in Bayou country.
It was here in his lowest point that Cutrer encountered a guardian angel by the name of Marlon Moore – not to be mistaken with the one-time Miami Dolphins wide receiver – who lifted the young defensive back from his doldrums and inspired him to keep fighting.
Thanks to a fateful meeting with Middle Tennessee State defensive coach and recruiting coordinator Steve Ellis, it wouldn’t be long before the pride of the 7th Ward was back terrorizing opponents with his all-out intimidating style of play, which often found him around the ball.
Though he wouldn’t be sharing the field with LSU’s future first and second-round picks, he would be teaming up with ballhawk and standout safety Kevin Byard, who would eventually go on to enjoy a highly successful rookie campaign with the Tennessee Titans.
His two seasons in Murfreesboro, Tenn., allowed Cutrer to distinguish himself as one of the many promising prospects in this year’s cornerback-rich draft class.
He accomplished the arduous task in the shadows of Conference USA without the push and exposure afforded to athletes from Power-5 programs. But as Cutrer, and Byard before him, found out: If you can play, they will find you.
The versatile defender recently reflected on his incredulous journey with Lombardi Ave while preparing for an intense week of workouts with a number of NFL organizations.
Cutrer had no clue of where he stood among the current crop of draft-eligible cornerbacks or where he would be drafted, but was confident of the fact that he’s an NFL-ready performer that’s on the verge of making an instant impact at the next level.
And any good observer would be hard pressed to doubt him upon witnessing his uncanny awareness to read quarterbacks along with his combination of height, length and fluid ability to run, turn and break on the ball.
The 6-foot-2 cornerback was an open book in our conversation and truly spoke from the heart in offering a personal account of his highs, lows and everything in between less than a month before he’s handed an NFL jersey and officially becomes one of the big boys he used to watch every Sunday in his black and gold paraphernalia.
Here is Cutrer breaking it all down in his own words.