Inside the Burrow: With Corey Small

Redshirt Senior: 5-10, 190

Naples, FL

Gulf Coast High School

Small answers Big Questions

Corey Small has made the best of his opportunities on the field, recording a team-leading four interception in 2006, three coming against Arkansas State.  Improving on that number in 2007, with five interceptions.

He is a players that plays much bigger then his size and will deliver the big hits every chance he gets.

Q:  Heading into the '08 season what were some of your goals?

A:  As a team, the goal was to win a bowl game again. Individually, I wanted to earn an invitation to the NFL Combine.

Q:  What were some things you felt you had to improve on in the off-season?

A:  Man-to-man coverage was the main thing I tried to work on as well as my footwork.

Q.  You have become a strong presence on the field. What do you attribute the success you've had on the field ?

A:  Hard work, not taking anything for granted and staying humble.

Q.  Being on the small side in terms of size, how do you approach the game, considering you have to cover much taller receivers?

A:  Basically, I just try to figure out what their weaknesses are. Even though they are big, every person has a weakness. You just try to figure out what it is.

Q.  Do you consider your size a challenge every time you step on the field?

A:  I guess you could say that. I feel it's a challenge especially being a smaller defensive back. That is probably something they always say about taller receivers.

Q.  In the opener against Texas, you had four solo tackles and five total tackles. What do you take away from your performance against a team like the Longhorns?

A:  When you are playing a team like Texas, you have to know what you are doing. They out executed us. We had too many mental errors.

Q.  What can you and your teammates take away from the UT game to help you prepare for the next game?

A:  In terms of preparation, we have to make sure that we know exactly what we are doing.

Q. Is there a sense of relief after playing Texas from all the pregame hype?

A:  Not really. I really didn't see too much [hype]. I think we went into the game like it was just a game. It wasn't anything, record wise, which was going to hurt our record.

Q. What does the defense need to improve on heading into the home opener against UAB?

A:  Tackle and cut down on errors that we made.

Q. Next game is the home opener against UAB. How does it feel playing in front of your own fans as oppose to 90,000+ scramming fans wanting nothing better than to see you fail?

A:  It's a big relief to be playing at home with the crowd on your side and with your family there. I'm excited about the game. I hope we do better and win.

Q. You've talked about learning the importance of having a good work ethic, values and strong communication skills from your father. How has that helped you out on the field and to becoming the player you are now?

A:  I guess the knowledge that I need to continue to work hard no matter the success I achieve. I can always do better.

Q. Now that you have graduated with a major in English, what are your hopes after football at FAU?

A:  Hopefully football at the next level. If not, I don't know what avenue I will take.

Q. What are some of your hobbies outside of football?

A:  I like to fish and hangout with my teammates.