NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2022 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, OC, Laval University

Cyrille Hogan-Saindon the massive offensive lineman from Laval University recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot.
  • Name: Cyrille Hogan-Saindon
  • Position: OC
  • College: Laval University
  • Height: 6’5″
  • Weight: 300
  • Instagram: @hoganagan

What makes you a top prospect at your position  in the 2022 NFL Draft

What makes me a top prospect at my position is a combination of a lot of traits. I am an athlete before even being a football player. Since a young age, I’ve played a lot of sports, and I developed very early the desire to compete and I also developed a lot of abilities that still help me today. I’ve played soccer, baseball, hockey, basketball, boxing, and even skateboarding. All of these sports helped me in some type of way to be a better football player.

The desire to compete is my main defining trait. I just love to compete. In every single thing I do, I want to be the best. During the offseason training, I want to be the strongest in the team, I want to be the fastest and when it comes to football, I just want to be the best. On top of that, when I am into something, I am totally focused and totally committed. And when I want something, I will get it, even if it takes a long time. I am very persistent. I have a strong work ethic and I will always give my 110% to become the best version of myself. I definitely have a good combination of size, strength, athleticism, aggressivity, and football IQ that makes a balanced offensive lineman with a great work ethic and an extremely strong desire to dominate and improve every day. When I am on the field, I will be the most aggressive and I will always find work to be sure we get the extra yard.

At what age were you first interested in the sport of football?

From a young age, I have practiced a lot of different sports but football was not one of them early on. A bit later, around the age of 12, I started throwing the ball with my dad and I started taking notice of the NFL when I watched the Super Bowl XLIII (2009) between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers with my grandparents. Instantly, I was really impressed with the sport, even if I couldn’t understand all of the details. After that moment, a good friend of mine and me started watching a lot (and I mean a lot) of highlights on YouTube of the biggest stars in the NFL and we imitated Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers in the backyard! Since Super Bowl XLVIII (2013) we are always watching the game together. I then started playing for our high school team at the age of 16 after the coach noticed my big size and this is where my love story with the sport really started.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

The main thing that NFL teams should know about me is how much I am committed. Since I started playing football, I am committed to becoming the best version of myself. I am committed to being the best in the classroom, in my social relations (8 years with my girlfriend – through ups and downs), in the gym, on the field, with the playbook and I will outwork everyone and I will try to bring the others with me to make sure we are the best team and that we win. 

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be? 

I am actually donating to Crohn’s and Colitis Canada since last year. This is the cause I decided to give my money to because my girlfriend’s uncle just died from Crohn’s disease, at only 50 years old. I also know a lot of people suffering from this disease and If I can do my part to help the research to improve their life quality, it’s the least I can do.

What is the best advice you have ever received? 

In life, the best advice I received came from an older teammate of mine who once told me that everything is worth the wait. At my school, we have a lot of talent and it may take some time before you get to see the field. From where I am standing today, I can certainly tell that he was right. That piece of advice can be true in everything we do, when we are facing adversity, there will always be brighter days ahead if we keep our chin up and if we continue to work. 

Football-wise, the greatest tip I ever got, was to bend the big toe on the opposite feet of the way we are going to block. It helps us to gain ground on our first step and it makes our run blocks more powerful. I received this tip from the Penn State assistant OL Coach when I camped there in 2015. I still use this tip every day and I make sure that I share this tip with the younger guys.

Who was your childhood hero? 

My childhood hero was my grandmother. She was the kindest, just, brave and loving person I have ever met. She showed my sister and me to be resilient and to never give up. During her last ten years of life, she was sick and she never gave up. She was the glue to our family, she was just so in love with life and she kept her people really close to her by always treating them fairly and with love. Since 2017, she’s no longer in this world but I still carry her values and her love in my heart.

Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school? 

The most underrated teammate in our locker room is clearly Luca Perrier. This guy is just so friendly with everyone and he always knows how to put a smile on our faces. He is funny and everyone loves the guy. 

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

My biggest pet peeve is hearing other people chew or breathe loudly. I believed it’s called misophonia, I just can’t stand it, I become out of my mind…lol!

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome? 

As you read earlier, you saw how much my grandmother meant to me. When she died, It was like a part of me was just gone. During a year, I would feel the emptiness often. Today, I am at peace because I know I couldn’t have done more. I was there at the hospital when she left the world and I was just happy to know I was there until the end. Since then, in addition to what I learned in football (what it takes to earn a starting role) and at school (I am currently studying in an MBA – which is not a piece of cake to get in), I have built a strong character and I think I can face a lot of adversity and I will be equipped to succeed. 

Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you?

Laval University is a school anchored in my family history. Both my parents went there, my sister went there, and my girlfriend goes to med school there too. I believe I was meant to go there and I don’t regret my choice. I learned a lot at school and within my team, I learned the importance to pay attention to every detail and when I watch others’ team tape, I see that not every team cares as much. And that’s why Laval is a 10 time National Champion. It is really special to me because of what it means in our family and for everything I learned in the last 4 years.

What is your favorite snack food? 

My favorite snack food is BBQ sunflower seeds. I just love it!

What is the best part of football? 

The best part of football is definitely the importance of teamwork. On and off the field, I learned quickly that your teammates are your brothers and that you need to work for the guy next to you. I will always be grateful for the lessons I learned through football and I feel like it’s really easy to do teamwork because in football it’s just normal and necessary to have success. 

If you could sell yourself in one sentence what would you say? 

You should take a shot at me because I will be committed to the greater good, I will compete every day and you will get a hard-working guy who has a lot to prove.

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be? 

The OL I watch the most is Jason Kelce and I love to learn by watching him, I then try to do things like him. I think I can be similar to him because I move well, I’m fast and I work hard on making sure that I do my part to win games. 

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? 

I would definitely love to have dinner with John Lennon, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James. John Lennon is my favorite artist of all time and I would love to have a chance to talk to him about music and how he saw the world. I was so heartbroken when I learned about Kobe’s death last year, I would just love to get the chance to learn unknown stories and learn more about the Mamba Mentality. Kobe was a true winner, competitor and he would never give up, either through adversity or injury. Finally, I would just love to meet Lebron because I am a huge fan of his work on and off the court. He is a good person and he is truly more than an athlete. He could show me how to find balance, how to become a better athlete, a better person, a better businessman and more I am sure!

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button