2022 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Matthew Stephenson, DB, Colorado State University-Pueblo

• Name: Matthew Stephenson
• Position: DB
• College: Colorado State University-Pueblo
• Height: 5’9″
• Weight: 176 lbs
• Twitter: @2121Matt_
• Instagram: @__matt21

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

My favorite moments from my football life is the lifelong experiences that stick with you throughout the whole process making you a better man in life.

What is your favorite coverage and why?

Even though I’m a very versatile player I love man to man coverage it gives me the opportunity to show my ability to win at the line of scrimmage with great feet and patience then finish on the ball at the top of the route plus whenever your good at man coverage you can disguise zone coverage to make it look like man causing confusion with QBs.

What type of energy do you bring onto the football field?

When on the field I play with a great passion and energy my teammates and coaches always called me the spark plug for the energy I bring to the whole defense you can tell that whenever you watch me play it’s very easy to tell.

If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day who and why?

I would choose to be with Mike Hilton I feel me and him have very similar body types so I would pick his brain on small pointers for keys to success.

What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

I’ve always been around the game of football since a kid due to family in the NFL & every since then I always said I’m going to make it to the NFL and been pursuing it since never losing the passion over all these years.

What sets you apart from other defensive backs?

What sets me apart from other defensive backs is my knowledge of football combined with my elite speed and quickness this allows me to play with a whole different level of confidence which noticeable in my style of play.

If there was a billboard with 5 of your traits which 5 traits would be up there?

Speed, quickness, awareness, physicality and determination.

How do you handle challenges both in life and on the football field?

The thing I love most about this game of football it helped me learn along the process of how to correctly/professionally deal with challenges on and off the field which now makes challenges not even seem problematic and just focus on the controllables.

What do you think are the keys to success on the football field?

The main key for success on the field to me is proper preparation, because when in the heat of the moment you rely most on your preparation to allow you to play with great confidence.

What would a team get in a player like you?

A team would not only be getting a great DB but also a electric returner as well a player who fills more then one roster spot and just an overall football player who knows the game inside and out overall adding great value to any team who decides to take me.

How are you planning to prepare for the draft?

I am currently training at Bommarito’s Performance in North Miami. Training with Pete is one of the best decisions I made in my preparation for the NFL. He is well known around the NFL and his work is very credible. The training is second to none and I will show the results with a great pro day this march.

What should you know about Matthew Stephenson the person?

Teams should know Matthew Stephenson the person is a man who is not perfect but went through learning experiences as a young adult which in total made me the man I am proud to say I am today and I am very grateful for every experience I went through including the highs and the lows because without those I wouldn’t have truly found myself and be confident in the person I am today.