Former Whitewater High safety Kyle Dugger was lightly recruited coming out of high school, but developed into one of the top safeties in the Division II ranks at Lenior-Rhyne and was invited to the Senior Bowl.
Here’s what Dugger had to say about his football journey:
Q. What’s your mindset going into the game?
A: "I feel like there are a lot of question marks and doubts about me. I know that's the case, so I want to prove everything and show everything that I've got. That's really my main goal. To show everything and prove that I belong here."
Q: Describe your game?
A: "Versatility. Focus and a high IQ is what I bring to the game. I'm going to play."
Q: Do you want to play for the Falcons?
A: "I'm just looking for an opportunity. To play for the hometown team would be surreal. But, I'm just looking for an opportunity to play."
Q: How did you end up at Lenoir-Rhyne?
A: "I was slowly recruited out of high school. I went to a Division II school, but I made the most out of that. I feel like I had success there. I had a pretty good collegiate career, and I was able to get a invitation to the Senior Bowl."
Q: Did you start playing late in your youth?
A: "I started playing when I was 4 years old. I was just a late bloomer. I was late growing. I didn't have a lot of recruiters until my senior year. I didn't have any offers, so it was just more about the end of my career and being able to continue playing."
Q: When did the growth spurt hit?
A: "I came into high school a 5-6 and I grew about 6-1ish my senior year. Throughout that whole time I was literally growing two and three inches at a time between years."
Q: Who recruited you?
A: "I had a lot of interest from (FBS) schools like Mercer, (Western) Carolina I was talking to the whole time. Wofford and schools like that. I had interest from Alabama State, but none of them offered. The schools that offered were Division II Berry College, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Rheinhardt was a D3 school."
Q: What do you hope to show the scouts here at the Senior Bowl?
A: "Everything that I got. I want to show them my versatility. I want to show everything that I got that goes with my game and show potentially what I could learn and what I could do at the next level. Just show everything at a high level."
Q: Do they see you as a safety or a hybrid linebacker?
A: "Some teams have seen me as a hybrid linebacker. Other teams have said I'm a safety. Some teams have said I can play either or. It's really depending on the team. I'm going to start out at safety in practice. "
Q: Where are you most comfortable?
A: "I'm most comfortable at safety."
Q: Strong or free safety?
A: "Strong."
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