ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Gareon Conley initially committed to Michigan coming out of Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio, before reneging and going to Ohio State.
Will Michigan alum and Oakland Raiders legend Charles Woodson, who retired after the 2015 season but still looms large in Silver and Blackdom, forgive him?
“Hopefully,” Conley said with an uneasy laugh at the Raiders facility Friday, a day after Oakland selected him with the No. 24 overall pick as his draft stock fell in the wake of a rape allegation.
Conley has maintained his innocence -- he's said he will meet with Cleveland police Monday -- and the Raiders obviously believe him.
That’s why, as Conley was introduced, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie asked the media to stick to football questions since both he and Conley addressed off-the-field issues previously.
Gareon Conley, the Raiders' first-round draft pick, has been introduced to the media at... https://t.co/Q6y8kCCmpb pic.twitter.com/ZNkj5vyr5v
— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) April 29, 2017
Following are some of those questions and answers, courtesy of the Raiders:
Can you talk about your leadership abilities?
Conley: Yeah, I was captain this past year and a leader on the secondary. I felt like I earned that right through my experience and just how I handled myself on and off the field. A lot of the young guys looked up to me and always came to me for questions. That’s how I was when I came in. A lot of the older people, Doran [Grant] and [Bradley] Roby, they showed me how to be a leader in the secondary. What to do on and off the field, in the weight room, practice habits, games. Just leading by action mostly.
What does it mean to be a part of this iconic brand?
Conley: Like I said, it’s an honor to come from somewhere like Ohio State into a program like this. It’s like a more rich program than Ohio State. So being in Black and Silver, I see all the fans, they show me so much love already and I haven’t even been here yet. It’s just an honor to be here.
When did you first start thinking you could play football in college or the NFL?
Conley: Massillon is a football town. It’s kind of like a mini-Ohio State with all their fans. The pressure is like a high expectation there. I’ve seen people who were going to college for football and I just felt like I could explore more opportunities by playing more sports. Football just gave me the opportunity and I took it and stuck with it.
What’s life been like since getting drafted?
Conley: It was a short turnaround, but I know last night when I got that call I couldn’t even hear the phone call because my family just tackled me as soon as I put my phone to my ear. Like I said, I’ve just been shaking ever since. It’s just unreal. This is the most proud I’ve ever been of myself in my life because this is like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m just thankful to have it.
What was it that you like about football that caught your attention and what didn’t you like about it before you started?
Conley: It wasn’t that I didn’t like it. I was kind of forced to play and so, I didn’t want to do it just because I was forced to, I wanted to do something that I wanted to do. But I learned to love it and I’m just a competitor all over. In football, it teaches you life lessons on and off the field and I like that about football. Just the high competition of football and being a corner, you’re on an island out there and it’s competition at the highest level every day.
What have you learned in the last week about everything?
Conley: To keep faith, always have a tight support system and just trust in yourself and never lose faith.
What do you think working with your group of defensive backs at Ohio State taught you and did it help you get ready for the next level?
Conley: Yeah, definitely. At Ohio State we have a high standard, high expectation to be the best and I feel like those guys pushed me every day because those guys are NFL-caliber players as well and they made me a better NFL-caliber player. Just going out there and competing, some of our practices were harder than games, and I feel like that’s what prepared us to be those NFL-caliber players.
What prompted the move inside for you and how was the transition for you?
Conley: We played Nebraska and they had a really good slot receiver. My coach, he asked me if I could get it done. He just said he needed somebody to lock a guy up in the slot and I said I could get it done. Ever since then he kept me in the slot, so I played both outside and inside.
Knowing that he was drafted by the Chargers, what was the battle like against WR Mike Williams in the [College Football Playoff] game against Clemson?
Conley: He was a great receiver. I was watching film on him all year and I knew he was projected high. That battle in the game, it was a real good battle. I feel like he’s probably one of the best receivers I went against all year last year. Props to him. But I’m always going to compete against him and I look forward to seeing him again.
What did your first experience getting benched against Michigan State do you for you as a player?
Conley: I feel like it changed my whole career because I kind of lost self-confidence and I feel like my coaches and my teammates were really the ones who helped me in that situation because no one batted an eye, no one talked bad about me during the game while it was happening and they were all cheering me on. I felt like they had that much confidence in me, I had to have that self-confidence in myself and I realized that after that game and that’s what turned my career around.
