Antonio Grier Draft Networking Interview: Unmatched Desire And Passion

Justin Melo

4/21/2024 1:37:46 AM

Arkansas linebacker Antonio Grier recorded 92 tackles at South Florida in 2022. He then transferred to the Razorbacks program and proved he could play on the SEC stage. Grier continued that momentum by leaping a 36.5-inch vertical at Pro Day, the 3rd-best result among all linebackers had Grier been at the NFL Combine.

Grier recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about the decision to transfer from South Florida to Arkansas, modeling his game after Ray Lewis, which teams have shown interest in his services, and more.

JM: Now that you've had time to reflect, how do you look back on the decision to transfer to Arkansas from South Florida?

Antonio Grier: Transferring to Arkansas led to the best experience of my life. Arkansas gave me an opportunity to play in the SEC. Some people take those resources for granted. I was always very thankful for every opportunity Arkansas provided me with.

We played in front of so many amazing fans on that level. It was surreal. It was totally different from anything I was used to. I’m also thankful for everything I learned at South Florida. I applied those teachings at Arkansas.

South Florida remains near and dear to my heart. They gave me all of the tools I needed to succeed in the world. Arkansas was a new experience. I learned from the coaching staff. We did so much amazing work in the community as well. We visited business owners, etc.

I applied everything I learned throughout my life. As far as football goes, Arkansas made me better in every aspect. I had a great time at Arkansas.

JM: You took advantage of your opportunity. You also had a great Pro Day. Your 4.57 40 would've tied for eighth among all linebackers at the NFL Combine, and your 36.5-inch vertical would've tied for third. You also had a great broad jump (9-foot-10) and shuttle time (4.39). Have you noticed an uptick in attention you're receiving from NFL scouts since then?

Antonio Grier: I’ve had some great feedback since then. Going into the process, I knew what the negatives were going to be. People say I’m not big enough, not tall enough, not long enough. I wanted to prove the doubters wrong at pro day.

All of that added fuel to my fire. I took those negatives and applied it to everything I was doing. I’m always critiquing myself when doing on-field drills and workouts. I’m always looking to get better. I have to believe in myself first and foremost before anybody else can.

It constantly fuels my fire. It’s consistently burning underneath me. Sometimes it keeps me from sleeping at night.

JM: I love that. You had 92 tackles at South Florida in 2022. You leave college football with 265 career tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. What is it about your game that allows you to always be around the ball?

Antonio Grier: I’ve always stayed detailed in my work. The biggest thing was probably that I’ve always tried to model my game after Ray Lewis. He was a player that wanted to know everything pre-snap. I’m the same way. I want to know what’s going to happen before it happens.

I pay close attention to formations, splits, alignments, and so on. How far is the No. 1 receiver outside the numbers? How close is he to the sideline? I pay attention to the small details.

I play those details over and over again in my mind. When it comes to the game, I’ve already seen those things on film. It’s like I’m watching a movie I’ve already seen play out in front of me. It’s like I’ve seen it 1,000 times.

That also helps me put my teammates in great positions. We’re always communicating. If there’s motion, I look at my defensive linemen and secondary, hey, I know what’s coming. I’ve seen their arsenal of plays out of these formations.

Honing in on those details helped put me and my teammates in better positions. That’s why I racked up the tackles for loss and sacks. I dream of interceptions. Whatever I see on film, I can say hey, this is the play where I’m getting a tackle for loss.

Making a play because you saw it before it happened is the best feeling in the world. It feels like we manifested that together as a unit.

JM: You’re a student of the game. Have you met with any teams throughout this process? Have you been to any local days, or had any virtual meetings?

Antonio Grier: I attended the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons local pro day workouts. Both of those went really well. I also chatted with scouts from the Titans, Saints, and Chargers at my Pro Day.

The local days with the Bucs and Falcons were amazing. That was a great experience. I was thankful to receive an invite. It was an opportunity to prove myself to an NFL team.

JM: We've appreciated your time today. Why should a team use one of their draft picks on Antonio Grier?

Antonio Grier: They’re going to get everything I have and then some. I’m going to add value to the team and to the organization. I’m going to be a great person first and foremost. What I do off the field adds fuel to my performance on the field.

I love building relationships and camaraderie with my teammates and coaching staff. I’m going to pour everything I have onto that field. Using a draft pick on me is the best bet you can make because I’m always going to bet on myself first.

It’s about the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog. I’m always going to prove everybody wrong because I have that desire and passion. It’s unmatched.

Losing my father this past year was a difficult lesson. I’m going to continue putting my best foot forward. Let the chips fall where they may.