2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Kierre Rhodes, CB, UW-Stout

• Name: Kierre Rhodes
• Height: 5’9
• Weight: 185
• Position: CB
• College: UW-Stout
• Twitter: @RhodesKierre

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

• My hometown is a place only for the strong, honestly if you can survive in this state we call Minnesota then you a real one. What I love about my state is the competitive nature in the work environment, I love the events and outings we have and obviously the athletics. Were a underdog state when it comes to athletics, I feel like as a whole we all know that and that’s why we grind with a chip on our should regardless of the condition. 

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

•Film study is obviously important because it gives you an edge on the opposing team with out actually physically playing them. Film gives you the opportunity to study the opponents tendencies and strengths. You study enough film you’ll scope out different coverage’s and calls before they happen and it gives you a familiar look how the man across from you moves and there give away tendencies. 

• Strength and condition is important for one you wanna be in the shape, for two you wanna be bigger, faster and stronger then the next man and three it’ll help prevent injury down the long stretch of the season. 

• Practice is where it all counts, the phrase you practice how you play is so genuinely true it’s crazy. The out come of you’re weeks worth of work will determine how well you play in the game. That’s why taking practice serious like a game is very important from the speed of practice, physical aspect and mental part of it. 

What do you worry about, and why?

• To be honest, I try to never worry because if you prepare yourself mentally and physically through out the week then you should have no worries. I’m a man of god and how i was raised is not to be double minded, it says in the bible to worry you have no faith: I dont worry, but I dont just have faith because faith without works means nothing. I put in the work ! 

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

•For an example I failed at completing my spring semester after my sophomore season. I had a child and decided to take a year off. I could have been done with football, I was depressed and my priorities changed, but I talked to god and my faith increased and I figured out a plan, I paid my 2000 plus bill off from my JUCO, I ended up enrolling back into school, I had to take a couple courses during the summer and get a job in order to pay for these courses and I did. I got back into football and the rest is history. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• they say my best quality is my Heart !

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

• I would choose one family member and I don’t like that it’s one but it would probably be my son. The reason why is because if all my family members were to die at least my son could pass on our generation instead of none one being left. 

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

• I would choose Luke cage, a humble super hero who doesn’t let his ego or success get to him. He doesn’t have a fancy uniform to stand out from society he dresses up like the next man and just protects his people. 

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

• I would the biggest adversity of my life was after my sophomore season, I lost focus of the vision, I got the big head and decided to hang with the wrong crowd. I ended up being homeless and lost everything all while having a baby on the way. I had a deep conversation with my mom and dad on my birthday while having to sleep outside that night. They spoke nothing but words of encouragement and it hit me all of of sudden. I turned a full 360 around, started knocking off things to do one by one. Paid my bill off from central lakes to get into a Stout, I took four summer classes and got a full time job to pay for those classes and enrolled back into to school and played the following season. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•In second grade I played running back/ linebacker I got ran over by a girl and from that point on I never got ran over again and I did the running over ! 

•What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

My first pick six against Ridgewater, it was clean, the break was perfect and I just took off. I made the newspaper that game and from that point the sky was the limit. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Ace Hood – Hustle Hard 

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level?

• My Heart 

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• I would bring back Muhammad Ali because this man changed sports. He paved the way for a lot of my people and gave sports in general a voice. Wanna talk about work ethic, I would to sit down with him and soak everything up he would have to say. 

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it?

• JIGG and Finesse 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?

• Chris Harris jr

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Like my momma always use to told me ” you ain’t gotta like me but you will respect me” I’ve always went by that and will continue to. 

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

• Tyrann Mathieu because he didn’t no know better in terms of having that role model in his life majority of his child hood. Tyrann had went through some tough adversity during his college career and even parts of the NFL, but today he is a leader of the chiefs and a superbowl champion and I respect the hell out of that guy. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• Obviously everybody loves to win but you learn more about yourself as a person and you’re team when you lose an Personally I hate to lose, but I also love the fact that i can grow from the loss and it gives me that extra chip on my shoulder the following week. 

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

• This is tough because even thou my circle is small a fair amount of people who are great mentors have great influence on my life but I would have to my father,mother and wife. I can’t choose one because my parents raised me the right way and when I got married my wife has been my biggest influence. They all want the best for me !