By Matt Duffy
March 18, 2008

Aqib Talib

After being lightly recruited out of high school in Richardson, Texas, Kansas CB Aqib Talib has gone from a relative unknown to a first-team All-American in only three years.
 
The 22-year-old Talib, who led his team with 18 pass breakups and five interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, is Kansas’ first All-American since Bruce Kallmeyer in 1983, and was named this year’s Orange Bowl MVP in Kansas’ first-ever BCS bowl victory.

PFW got the chance to speak with the 6-2, 205 pounder, who is forgoing his senior season, and got him to reflect on his ascension through the college ranks and look ahead at the upcoming draft.

PFW: There has been talk that you are Mark Mangino’s best prospect at Kansas in terms of draftability. Does that mean anything to you?
Talib: I guess it means a lot. Just being named to that, he had a lot of recruits and he’s signed a lot of guys, and a lot of people have gone through Mangino. For me to be that one name that sticks out, that’s a big honor for me.

PFW: What’s your favorite part of the game?
Talib: The competition. The crowd being out there, one team versus another, all those people watching you. I love the competition level.

PFW: Does that translate over to other sports too?
Talib: I’m a great competitor. I love to compete at anything, whether it’s card games, PlayStation, whatever. I’m playing to win.

PFW: What was your favorite sport growing up? I’ve talked to guys in different professional sports, and it seems like the sport they’re playing isn’t always their first love. Is that the case with you?
Talib: Nah, nah. Football is actually my favorite sport. I actually played more basketball growing up, but I always wanted to play football. When I lived in New Jersey and Cleveland, everyone was always playing basketball, but I always was the one who wanted to play football. So football is definitely my favorite sport.

PFW: At Kansas, the basketball program has a lengthy tradition of success and naturally gets a lot more recognition than the football team. But you guys really stepped into the spotlight this year. What was it like to take away some of the spotlight from the basketball team like that?
Talib: I don’t think we really took any of the shine away from them — we just kinda got our name out there too. When teams and other people say Kansas, of course they’re going to say basketball, but now they’ll say, ‘Oh, they beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl too, didn’t they?’ So they might be thinking football now too. Before, they would think basketball and not even think about the football program. So, hopefully we can kinda keep things going and make ourselves known a little bit more every year.

PFW: You played in relative obscurity on a Kansas squad that went 6-6 your sophomore year, and then you’re playing in a BCS bowl game on the national stage one year later. What was that transformation like?
Talib: Man it was, it was … wonderful. It took hard work. We kinda had to change up everything that we did. It was a good experience though man, just to be a part of that team, and to get to celebrate and put on those hats and T-shirts after the game. It was wonderful, man.

PFW: In several mock drafts, you’re projected to be selected in the first or second rounds. For a guy who didn’t really have that many scholarship offers coming out of high school, did you ever see yourself reaching this point?
Talib: Of course, playing in the NFL was always a dream, but for it to be here now and for me to be a potential first-round pick, man, it’s crazy. It’s kinda unbelievable. It probably won’t hit me completely until my name gets called on the 26th (of April, at the NFL draft). It’s just surreal.

PFW: What’s more satisfying, scoring on offense or defense?
Talib: Oh, defense. NO question it’s defense. On offense, your goal is to score touchdowns, while your goal on defense is to stop the offense from scoring touchdowns. So if you score on defense, it makes that much more exciting and humiliating for the other team.

PFW: Whose idea was it for you to play offense?
Talib: (Coach Mangino) saw me playing a little receiver when some of the guys were out there just playing around and stuff, and so he just gave me a chance one day in practice to run routes and try and catch the ball and I did pretty good. So it was his idea to try me out (at receiver) but I definitely had to earn it.

PFW: You are Kansas' first first-team All-American since 1983. What’s it feel like to leave your mark on the school like that?
Talib: It feels good. That was my goal coming in. I didn’t want to be one of those guys who just came in, played football and then left. When I came in, I told myself I wanted to be one of those guys who people know and remember. I want people to know who I am when they see me, or come to play football for Kansas. They know who I am, and know what I did. It was the same thing for high school. I didn’t want to be that guy. That was my goal, and I’d say that I achieved my goal. I want to be the best at whatever I do. And that’s something I told myself when I put on their uniform, I want to be one of the best to ever play for the Jayhawks.

PFW: When did you know you were good enough to play in the NFL?
Talib: I started to think that I had a real chance after my freshman year at KU. I was named to the freshman All-America team, and I sat down and really thought about what that meant. All the freshmen in the nation were judged, and put on one team, and on that team, I was the starting cornerback. So I’m thinking, as we keep getting older, I was gonna be one of the top corners in my class. So when I got to my junior year, I was gonna be one of the top corners and that was gonna give me a chance to play in the NFL.

PFW: How do you keep yourself motivated?
Talib: There are always better awards. I mean, I didn’t win the award this year that I really wanted to win. I wanted to win the Thorpe (Award, which is given to the nation’s best defensive back). And I didn’t get a chance to win it before I left. So there are always bigger awards or goals that you can achieve. So that makes you work right there.

PFW: Do you think that not winning the Thorpe Award will make that chip on your shoulder a little bit bigger?
Talib: I mean, I always have something to prove, even if I did win it. It’s a whole new level now. Everything I’ve done in college doesn’t matter anymore. The players (in the NFL) aren’t gonna care about it. The coaches aren’t gonna care about it. The GMs aren’t gonna care about it. So, it’s a whole new leaf to turn over. When I came to college, they didn’t care about what I did in high school. It’s a whole new leaf, so I’m gonna go up there and be one of the young guys again, a rookie or a freshman again, and the whole process is gonna start over.

PFW: Where is your ideal place to play?
Talib: I just want to get on the field and get used to the speed and get acclimated to the game at the professional level. I don’t care if it’s in Green Bay, or if it’s in San Diego. It doesn’t matter to me, I just want to play.

PFW: What part of your game do you still need to improve the most?
Talib: All aspects of it. I’ve always got room to improve. I dropped too many interceptions last year, so I need to polish that up. I can’t waste turnovers. I play with a high pad level once in a while during the game, so I need to make sure I get my pads down and play lower. Tackling, I’ve gotta keep my head up when I’m wrapping. If I want to be one of the best guys in the NFL, I’ve got to improve everything. It’s just going to take more work. If I put in 20 hours per week in college, then I’m going to need to put in 40 hours per week in the NFL. It’s gonna take more hours, more practice, and that’s what I’m going to do.

PFW: What was your favorite part of the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis?
Talib: The best part? I think the best part about the Combine was the workout itself. It was a long, long, strung-out experience as far as the test, the drills and all that medical stuff. But I think that once we got out on the field and got a chance to do things and show how athletic I am, that was great. I wanted to put on a show for the coaches, because there were a bunch of coaches in the stand. That’s the part of the Combine that I thought about when I would think of the Combine. The last thing you do before you leave is the workout, so that was, by far, the best part. You know? It’s like boom, all the other stuff is over with, and now you get to focus on doing your best on the field and impressing the coaches.

PFW: When you think about yourself playing at the next level, what are you thinking first?
Talib: I think about getting a chance to play with all the guys that I play with on PlayStation. Now I’m gonna be on there too, but playing against those guys. That’s the thing that I’m most looking forward too. Getting a chance to compete against those guys, and see how I stack up against the best of the best.

PFW: Do you want another shot at Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson, who caught 10 passes for 137 yards and one touchdown against you last season? Be honest.
Talib: Nah, I’d rather have a shot at Randy Moss, Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens. I’m not worried about J. Nelson too much anymore. We won that game. That’s all that matters. I’ve seen him out a couple times — there’s no animosity at all. He’s a good player.

Long considered the bible of the draft, PFW’s 2008 Draft Preview book can be ordered now from the PFW store. It contains in-depth scouting reports on 500 prospects, with heights, weights, 40-times; ratings of prospects; and the draft needs of each club, among other things. The 2008 Draft Preview will be ready for shipping no later than the first week of April.

If you can't wait for the Draft Preview book, be aware that available immediately, at PFWstore.com and at bookstores and newsstands throughout the country, is the 2008 Draft Guide, our annual magazine that features scouting reports on more than 350 players, draft analyses for all 32 teams and rankings of the prospects by position. You receive a discount if you purchase both the 2008 Draft Preview book and the 2008 Draft Guide magazine with our Combo-Pack offer.

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