2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Caleb Sutherland, FS, Bethune-Cookman University

• Name: Caleb Sutherland 
• Position: Free Safety 
• College: Bethune-Cookman University
• Height: 6’0”
• Weight: 187
• Twitter: 26tyl
• Instagram: 26tyl

What makes you a top prospect at your position  in the 2023 NFL Draft? 

I believe I am a hard-working leader who my guys can lean on at any time. That paired with my knowledge of the game and overall football IQ make me a unique prospect in this year’s draft.

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

I have been playing football since I was 5. My mom is a huge Bucs fan though, so I have been watching football and in love with the game long before then.

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

I am reliable, hungry, and will not be outworked! 

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

Definitely prison reform.

What is the best advice you have ever received? 

“Don’t be upset about the results you didn’t get, from the work you didn’t put in.”

Who was your childhood hero? 

My hero my entire life has been my mother. She has always worked tirelessly to provide for me and make sure my siblings have the lives we always wanted. I am her firstborn and I’ve kind of watched her grow up as well. So nothing means more to me than making her proud.

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

This a tough one. As a whole, I feel like our entire team and program is underrated. But if I had to pick, I’d say DeVuntray Hampton or my CB1 Omari Hill-Robinson. This is gonna be a big year for each of us.

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

My family knows this is a weird one, but my biggest pet peeve has to be wet doorknobs. It’s just something about them that makes my skin crawl.

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

One of hardest periods in my life was when I had to get myself established after entering the transfer portal. When I secured an apartment in Daytona Beach, it took every cent I had. For a few months I had no furniture in my home and was sleeping on the floor. That simply added more fuel and motivation to achieve my goal of getting drafted and never having to feel like that again. If it wasn’t for my mother and grandma, I’m not sure how I would’ve made it through that.

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

Bethune-Cookman is a very small school. Everybody knows everybody and we are all so close knit. It feels like one big family and I love it. 

What is your favorite snack food? 

Anyone who knows me knows I love chocolate and potato chips. You can’t go wrong with a Snickers or some hot Cheetos.

What is the best part of football? 

The best part of football is of course winning. After putting in work with your brothers basically year-round, there is no better feeling than defeating another group of guys who are standing in our way towards a united goal.

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

This is hard for me because I’m not one to brag or boast. But I would have to say “This guy is a multifaceted player who provides any team with an undeniable spark with his playmaking and love for the game.”

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

Tyrann Mathieu

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

Easy. LeBron James, Nick Saban, and Dave Chapelle. I love excellence and I feel like this guys are all excellent at what they do. I feel like this dinner would be nothing but great vibes and impart me new knowledge and a few good jokes.