2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Collin Heard, DB, Southern Illinois University

• Name: Collin Heard
• Position: DB
• College: Southern Illinois University(Transfer from Colgate)
• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 185 lbs
• Twitter: @Collin_Pagado
• Instagram: @collin_pagado

What are your favorite moments from your football life?

My favorite football moments have been winning a conference championship my freshmen year at Colgate university, and my second is my first collegiate interception.

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

I would choose to hang out with Derrelle Revis because he is my favorite corner of all time to watch and I’m a huge fan of his man coverage skills and competitiveness.

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

I’ve been playing tackle football since I was 5 years old. Prior to that my dad had a lot of posters and cards of Barry Sanders, so I ended up falling in love with Barry’s game at a young age which had huge influence on my love for the game. However, the older I got the more my dream towards the NFL became more realistic and visible for me and once I got to a certain level(such as collegiate division 1), I realized I want to do this as a career.

What sets you apart from other defensive backs?

I feel that my quick twitch ability and change of direction sets me apart from other dbs. Seeing as that I’m a smaller corner I have to utilize my feet to make up for where I lack in size. I also feel that I am a very strong tackler compared to most corners in college football. And my ball skills separate me as well, I feel that defensive backs in college football and the next level struggle with finding the ball in the air or tracking.

How do you prepare for games?

I break down clips from the receivers that I will be facing. From that I rate them on a scale from 1-10 in 4 categories. These categories consist of hands, YAC, routes, and releases. Also the week of being in practice I try to get a good amount of releases to assure that my technique is sharp for the game.

What should we know about Collin Heard the person?

Collin Heard is a very caring and look out for anybody type of person. If anybody on my previous or current team needed anything I would be the guy to give the shirt off my back. I am also a big family oriented guy and family comes before a lot of things in my life.

What is your favorite coverage and why?

My favorite coverage to play is cover 1 press man, but outside of that I love to play cover 3 because I like to bait the quarterback into throwing the seem route for an easy interception.

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

I’m a high energy guy, I love to make the big play and get my team fired up. However, I’m not a ra-ra guy. I more so lead by example on the field and bring my teammates up with me.

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

Well adversity is apart of life and I feel like the only way to deal with it is to keep going and fight through it. Because hard times don’t last forever and whatever challenges I’m going though will eventually get better or be fully resolved. Also, when the challenges get hard I put my faith in God and from there I just control what I can.

What would a team get in a player like you?

A team would be getting a player willing to give everything he has for the man next to him. A player that is a leader and loves the game with everything in him. And an absolute dog ready to run through any wall that’s in front of him.

Who is the most underrated player you’ve played with and why?

The most underrated player I’ve played with is probably Trevor Thompson, he was an outside linebacker at Colgate who never really got the credit he deserved. He was a good open field tackler and could cover the slot well.

What are you looking forward to in your upcoming season?

I’m looking forward to winning a conference championship and making a run at the national championship with my brothers. I’m also looking forward to showing my full skill set, seeing as that I’m a 5th year I feel that the older I get the more skills I have added to my game that I may have not have had in the previous years. Now I feel like I have everything I need to showcase my abilities to their fullest.