New Orleans Saints Cornerback Tracy Porter
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Q: How are you doing?
A: Words cannot express how I am doing right now. I'm great!
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Q: Was this the first time the Saints had spoken with you or did you come in for a visit?
A: I came in for a visit last week and spoke with them. They told me that they liked me, they like how I play and they like my style of play. I still didn't know that they were going to draft me.
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Q: What did they say they liked about the way you play?
A: They like my speed. They like my ball skills and they like my coverage skills. They just like my all-around game and what I can bring to this ball club.
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Q: Growing up so close to New Orleans, were you a Saints fan as a kid?
A: I was a diehard fan. I always rooted for the home team. No matter what sport it was, whoever the home team was that was who I was cheering for.
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Q: You know the need for cornerbacks on this team, just talk about possibly filling an area where this team is seeking to enhance competition.
A: I will play any and every area they want me to in New Orleans right now, whether it be corner, nickel or whatever. I am going to come in there and help get the entire defense better, the secondary as well as the front seven guys. Those guys that do that job, they know now that I am a Saint and coming in and I am looking to help in every aspect of the game.
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Q: Nick Saban (LSU) apparently offered you a scholarship out of high school, why did you go to Indiana?
A: I wasn't highly recruited coming out because I only played two years of high school football. When I was coming out of high school, schools close to home I guess weren't real big on me, they didn't know who I was. Indiana had the need for corners and my high school coach at the time gave them a call and sent up some film and they liked what they saw and offered for me to come there.
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Q: What was the day like for you today?
A: Overall it was a great day for me. I just sat at home with my family and we watched the draft. Of course I was looking to go in the first round but like I've told everyone that I've interviewed with, at the end of the day I'd be extremely happy wherever I go. I'd be looking to come into that program with whatever team that drafted me and show them why I should have been a first round pick.
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Q: How happy is your family with you being able to stay so close to home being picked by the Saints?
A: My family is extremely happy. As soon as I walked into my relative's house, everyone was there, the house was full and they started screaming. It is an experience like no other.
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Q: Other than your speed, what are your strengths?
A: My coverage and ball skills and my knowledge of the game. This will be my seventh year playing and I think I catch on quickly to the coverages and the schemes and knowing where I fit and where my teammates fit that are close to me in zone coverages. So, besides my speed I would say my coverage skills, my ball skills and my knowledge of the game overall.
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Q: Do you know Randall Gay at all?
A: Yes. I know Randall Gay. He went to a rival high school and actually played basketball with my brother. He went to Brusly High School so he and I have kept in contact as often as we could.
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