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Kenyon Green, Derek Stingley Jr. discuss how SEC has prepared them for NFL

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•05/04/22•

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(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Houston Texans added some big-time SEC star power in the 2022 NFL Draft, taking Derek Stingley Jr. out of LSU and Kenyon Green from Texas A&M. In their introductory press conference, duo opened up about how playing in the league got them ready for their respective NFL careers.

Houston selected Stingley as the No. 4 overall pick in the draft and landed Green No. 15 overall, adding key pieces on both sides of the ball. For Green, an offensive lineman, he went against some tough defenses in the SEC, notably Georgia, which had five defensive players selected in the first round. That, he said, got him prepared to take his skills to the next level.

“I feel like [in the] SEC, you’ve got to be prepared and ready each and every week because you’re going against somebody on your same level or even higher,” Green said. “You’ve got to match it, make sure that you focus right then, mentally and physically.”

Stingley had to contend with some top-tier wide receivers, and he said that takes more than just showing up on Saturdays. It’s a weekly grind — something that will continue into the NFL.

“I also think that even in practice every single day, with the schools that we went to, we had to be ready for that,” Stingley said. “Not just weekends. Every day.”

Derek Stingley Jr. describes what kind of player he is

Derek Stingley Jr. was one of the highest touted cornerback prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft and that is why it was not much of a surprise he went so early in the first round. The Houston Texans selected Stingley as the No. 3 pick in the draft Thursday night.

Although he only played in three games last season for LSU, people around the NFL were high on him, and that is a big reason why he became a first-round pick. In his introductory press conference this week, Derek Stingley Jr described what the Houston Texans got from an on-field standpoint when drafting him.

“I’d probably say that I’m just calm,” said Stingley. “I don’t let my emotions get too high, too low. I know in certain areas whenever I mess up I know how to diagnose it and talk it through with my coaches and fix it real fast.”