Q: This is a pretty young secondary with a lot of guys drafted in the last couple of years, including DeAndre Baker in the first round a year ago. As another young guy coming in here, what can you do to differentiate yourself and get on the field?

A: My thing is to just be a sponge. DeAndre is there a year before me, so he definitely learned more things than I have learned. I'm definitely going to get under his wing and try to contribute in every phase. I'm going to be an asset, I'm not going to be a liability. I'm just going to play my part and maximize my role, for sure.

Q: I was reading up on you and you are somewhat of a trendsetter. Someone who uses chess as a way to analyze football. Can you talk a little bit about that and how you got into that and how exactly it works and helps you?

A: I saw several cornerbacks playing chess and I'm the type of player that wants to get insight on everything that's going on. I walked up to the chess master and asked him do you mind helping me out with chess. The reason I play chess is I want to have efficient thoughts. I want to make sure I am making forceful moves and I want to make sure everybody responds to things that I do. Everything I'm doing, I'm not a piece, I'm a player. I'm going to make sure the team is working accordingly and we're all on one accord. Chess is a great thing for me to get my mind off of football but also get my mind in the state of being efficient in everything I do.

Q: I read about some of the hardships you had earlier in your life. Was there ever a time when you thought this day wouldn't come?

A: Definitely there were several times when you go through different emotions and you don't know when that day will come. I know those days and those experiences molded me into a better person, a better man. It molded my spirit to be someone that's ready to transition and transform within every phase of my life. Every season is not going to be a good season, but I know that season shall pass and I'll be bigger than that season.

Q: How is everyone in your family doing these days?

A: Everyone in my family is doing good these days. They are all on one accord, there is no family feud and everybody is making sure that we are transitioning so we have generational wealth for our young nephews.

Q: I know your dad played in the NFL and he went through a lot of stuff in his life before he started coaching you guys up. How much has he impacted your growth as a football player and as a person over the years

A: My pops impacted me in a lot of ways. He was a person who installed that hustler drive. That drive to compete each and every day, knowing that there is somebody out there working to take your spot or working to be better than you. Each and every day he always told me that you never compromise your grind or compromise the good habits you have for something that will not allow you to propel you forward to your full potential. He always made sure that you can't take any shortcuts. If you take shortcuts, when the time comes and you reach that destination, there's lessons that you did not learn. The downfall is going to be harder than the come up.

Q: Who were some of the guys you idolized growing up?

A: Definitely a few people that are mentors of mine are Aeneas Williams, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson. I have a great group of guys around me. Those guys are constantly providing me with insight that will allow me to be disciplined and have freedom. Freedom equals discipline. By them giving different tools and different things that I can add to my toolbox, I'm just ready to rock.

Q: Do you have personal relationships with them or just from studying them?

A: Personal relationships definitely.

Q: How did that come about?

A: When you are around the football circuit you definitely come around several marquee guys who want to give back to the youth. They understand that true wealth in life is what you give back to the world. They are constantly God-fearing men and they know when you serve somebody, it's an opportunity to serve God.

Q: Where are you, that's an interesting background behind you?

A: I'm in Palm Springs.

Q: What's behind you there, is that your yard?

A: Yeah, that's just some acres to get some work in.

Q: I'm just curious about your experience in the slot. Did you play much of it in college and if not, do you feel like you can play it at the next level?

A: Truthfully, I can't tell you where I'm going to play, I'm just ready to contribute. Wherever they put me, I'm going to maximize that role and I'm going to make sure that I understand that role. That's my main thing is understanding it and grasping all the concepts.

Q: Have you played the nickel much in the past?

A: The first time I played was the Senior Bowl. That was my first go around at it and I loved it. There's a lot of things that I need to learn about it. Until then, I'm just going to keep on crafting and get to know this playbook that the Giants have in store for me.

Q: What did teams talk to you about position wise when they talked to you? Is that something that they brought up, the slot, and is that something that's been mentioned to you? When people say you're too small to play outside in the pros, is that something you heard and you had to fight throughout this process?

A: Definitely I haven't had to fight that. A lot of people need different roles to be fulfilled. Some roles need to be nickel, some roles need to be boundary, some roles need to be primary corner. Everybody's got different roles and different things that they need to fulfill, so I'm just ready to fulfill whatever role that's needed right away.

Q: What do you bring to the team in terms of special teams? Did you talk to Joe Judge about any of that yet? He has a special teams background.

A: Definitely, I can bring a lot of things to the team. I can be a gunner, I can be a jammer, I can be whatever a team needs me to be. I'm ready to just contribute. I'm ready to play football, I'm ready to showcase everything that they need me to showcase. I have a lot of things to learn, I didn't play much special teams in college, but I know right away I'm going to be able to contribute on those four phases of special teams. So, whatever that may be, I'm going to be front line ready to rock. 

Q: You talked about how you went to a chess master. How does one go about finding a chess master?

A: When you go to UCLA, you're around a lot of different things, you have access to different pools of people. So, Chip Kelly, a great father figure of mine I should say, he makes sure he brings people within the school who are going to aid and are going to be able to value the mindset to reach that different frequency. 

Q: I read that you graduated very early, I think two or three years. What motivated you to get through your studies so quickly, and apparently you did so at a high level and you got good grades. How has that helped you with learning complex defenses and your studying?

A: Definitely the school curriculum allowed me to implement a strict routine, a routine that allowed me not to sway away into different distractions. So, by me having this vivid vision, my energy was aligning to it right away. That's definitely something that I implemented right when I got to UCLA. It was, I'm going to graduate in three years and then from there I'm going to figure out what I want to do. Right away I was a student, then after I graduated, it was like okay, how can I pursue my athlete endeavor, and I'm here now being a New York Giant. I'm very excited.

Q: Did you choose to accelerate your studies or did that just come together for you?

A: Definitely. Definitely I had to make that choice. If I hadn't made that choice, I would probably still be an undergraduate. So, I made that choice right away that I had to get my degree and break that barrier within my family being the first person in my family to get that degree at a prestigious college. (It) allowed them to know that we have so much greatness within ourselves, let's go chase that and manifest that.

Q: How did that help you with football? Learning a playbook can be so complex, I imagine it made that easier for you?

A: Definitely. You have different tactics that you use to grasp concepts and grasp schemes and make sure that you understand those things. I don't memorize, I want to grasp it and understand so I'll be able to tap into it no matter what the heat of the moment is. I'll understand it, so I'll be able to utilize it.

Q: How do you think playing for someone like Chip Kelly, who has experience coaching in the NFL, got you ready to make this leap to the league? He kind of had the reputation in Philly and then in San Fran as kind of a taskmaster or drill sergeant. Joe Judge comes in here as all business, no nonsense type of guy. When you look at their two personalities, how do you think you'll be able to make that transition from Chip to playing for Judge?

A: At the end of the day, everybody holds up a standard, so I'm going to abide by that standard and I'm going to abide by that code. I know that code is for us to flourish. When I have something that's great, it's like wouldn't you utilize it to tap into it?

Q: Obviously you're not going to be able to come here to New Jersey for a while. Did you take any online courses and do you think that's going to help you during these next couple of weeks and months when most of this stuff is going to be done virtually?

A: My online courses are going to be the Zoom meetings with the New York Giants getting that playbook down. I'm a graduate, so it's either hit the field, learn more about myself, the New York Giants organization, and tap into different people who've been around, veterans, Barkley, everybody who knows what it's like to be a New York Giant. That's my key and that's my goal -- to understand the playbook, be a sponge, and find a way to be a leader. I'm not saying I'm going to be a leader right away, but by me being under somebody who are leaders, you're the average of the five people you hang around, so I'm going to hang around five leaders. That's just the type of person I am. 

Q: Have you taken online courses in the past, though?

A: Yeah, definitely. I had to take several online courses to graduate in two and a half years, Sir.

Q: What's the key to learning that way?

A: The key to learning that way is understanding that you can't lollygag. You can't put things to the side because at the end of the day it's on your own time. In this life we're living, you do things on your own time, but at the end of the day if you have a strict routine, you can never be swayed off to different distractions or different things that will hinder you from accomplishing the main goal, which is being the great contributor to the team.