Jets FB, John Conner Interview

John Conner played college football at the University of Kentucky. He was considered one of the best and most complete fullbacks going into his senior season. He entered the 2010 NFL Draft, and was drafted in the 5th round by the Jets. He was the backup behind Tony Richardson during his rookie season. In 2011, he earned the starting role and is the only fullback on the NY Jets roster. This interview was conducted after the 2010 NFL season.

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Announcement : Hello, my name is Max Strauss with http://prointerviews.org/, http://facebook.com/ProInterviews/ and http://twitter.com/ProInterviews/. I’d like to welcome you to the interview with John Conner. Conner attended the University of Kentucky from 2006 to 2009. In 2009, he was considered the best blocking fullback in the Southeastern Conference. He then entered the NFL Draft in 2010 and was drafted in the fifth round, 139th overall by the New York Jets. He was a stud on Special Teams this past year, and was activated as the team’s lone fullback in the final week of the season. He became a fan favorite and favorite player of the coaches due to his nickname, The Terminator, and because of his hard work ethic. He had scored his first touchdown this season against the Buffalo Bills. Here is the interview with John “The Terminator” Conner and I hope you enjoy the collages also.

Strauss : If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Conner : I would probably say somebody like Michael Jordan. I liked him as a pro athlete because he was very successful and just talking to him and just figuring out what he was doing, what he did to get where he’s at right now.

Strauss : If you weren’t playing in the NFL, what would you want to do?

Conner : I’d probably be still involved with athletes. Maybe being some type of trainer… I like seeing people improve and prove to themselves to get to better, so I might get involved with some type of coaching, or athletic training, or a strength and conditioning.

Strauss : Do you know at what level?

Conner : Not any specific level. Pretty much, I would like to work with younger kids who are getting ready to get drafted to go into the NFL.

Strauss : Who was your childhood star?

Conner : When I was growing up, I liked to watch the Dallas Cowboys, and Deion Sanders was always my favorite player.

Strauss : If you could describe yourself as any ice cream flavor, now, what would you be?

Conner : Probably would say now…. either cookies and Cream or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Those are my two favorite types of ice creams to eat.

Strauss : What was your high school football experience like?

Conner : My high school football experience… It was a good experience and I dealt with some injuries my junior year in high school. And… I only played half of the year that year. But, my senior year was a very memorable season.

Strauss : What was it like to attend Kentucky, like the transition between high school and college?

Conner : It was a pretty different transition. I was a college walk-on, so I had that transition. I think that I was not really allowed to do most things that people who were recruited were allowed to do. I came in, pretty much as a regular student, and it all worked out for the better. It worked out. I earned a scholarship.

Strauss : Who was your running backs’ coach?

Conner : Larry Brinson.

Strauss : How much impact did he have on your career?

Conner : He had a great impact. He had NFL experience. He related to us very well. He just told us what it was like. He coached us and prepared us like we are going to go to the next level. He was preparing us for the next level, and that’s something out of his coaching style, and he was also the type of person that you could talk to about anything in life.

Strauss :I asked you at Jets Camp your favorite memory from Kentucky and you mentioned beating LSU, do you have another favorite memory?

Conner : Probably… Beating Louisville in 2007. It was the first game of the season, and we beat them on a last second throw.

Strauss : You were drafted in the 5th round, 139th overall by the New York Jets. What was your draft day experience like?

Conner : Just a lot going through my head. There was a lot of anxiousness and just life-altering… There’s a lot going through your head. Just wondering, if this is what it is supposed to be. You look up and you see everyone else excited about getting drafted. I didn’t really get any calls.

Strauss : You became kind of a star on Hard Knocks. Rex Ryan constantly praised you on Hard Knocks. What’s it like to play for Rex?

Conner : It’s a lot of fun playing for Rex. It’s not like we’re coming to work everyday, it’s we’re coming to have fun, and we have fun in practice because I think he’s a good coach. We, as players, want to work our hardest for him, because he’s going to do his job and give his all for us. He’s a player’s coach, and it’s been a great experience playing for him.

Strauss : You also play Special Teams for Westhoff. Westhoff is one of the best special teams coaches in the NFL. He has a completely different style than Rex, what’s it like to play for Mike Westhoff?

Conner : Westhoff, he’s a fun guy. He wants to get your best everyday. He might seem a little tough at times, but he’s only trying to get you better as a player and as a team. You meet him or talk to him outside of football, you realize that he’s a great guy. But, when you’re in the locker room, or the meeting room, you realize he wants your best and that’s what he expects from you.

Strauss : What’s a better feeling for you… to hit someone or score a touchdown?

Conner : I like them both. As a fullback, you don’t get the ball a whole lot. When you do get a chance to score, it feels like Christmas. It’s always a good feeling to knock somebody out.

Strauss : In the last week of the regular season, you had a rushing touchdown against Buffalo. Can you take me through the play and the pre-snap, and what it was like to get into the end zone?

Conner : It was a zone-read play. Brad had the option of handing the ball off to me, or taking it and pitching it. He decided to hand me the ball, and I saw a  whole open up, so I hit it. It was daylight and I was able to score.

Strauss : Did you have a celebration?

Conner : I’m not really a big person that is going to celebrate all the time. When you get there, you got to act like you’ve been there before. I’m not really into the whole dancing when you get into the end zone kind of thing.

Strauss : I asked you at Jets Camp, what is it going to be like to play behind Tony Richardson, and now that you’ve actually spent your first season with him, how much impact has Tony Richardson already given you on your pro career? How much advice has he helped you with? What’s it really like playing behind him?

Conner : Well… Tony is just a great guy all around. It was a great opportunity for me to come in, and learn from a guy who’s been in the league for sixteen plus years, and I look at that as an advantage for me. He showed me what it’s going to be like to be a starter. He gave me some great pointers, and I have learned lots of stuff playing by him and watching what he does.

Strauss : Why do you wear number 38?

Conner : When I went to college, it was the number that they gave me. It was a great number. I was 13 in high school, and I wanted to be 32 in college, but somebody already that. They had 38 available which is also a good number, especially for a fullback. I just took on that number, and once I got drafted, they had 38 available, so I just went ahead and kept that.

Strauss : Which nickname do you prefer now, Terminator or No Neck?

Conner : Haha. It doesn’t matter. I like them both. I’m happy to have a nickname. I like Terminator, that’s cool.

Strauss : Were you called “Terminator” at Kentucky?

Conner : Yes, but it wasn’t as much as I get called it now. I have had that nickname ever since I was about six or seven years old.

Strauss : Do you like the movies?

Conner : I do like the movies. I’ve seen them all.

Strauss : Have you considered starting a foundation?

Conner : I’ve definitely thought about that stuff maybe in the future starting some kind of charity. Something to help less fortunate people.

Strauss : For someone who wants to play football in the NFL, what’s the best advice you can give them?

Conner : Just believe in yourself and believe in your dreams. People are going to say that it’s not possible, but it is. It’s not easy to make it. The people that make it into the NFL, is not that big, if that’s what you want to do. You got to work hard at it. You got to take it on as your job and occupation sort-to-speak. Take that on. It could work out.

Strauss : Is there anything you want to tell your Jets fans or you fans from Kentucky or any fans across the nation that we have not talked about?

Conner : I look forward to making a run again. To the playoffs, and then, hopefully making it to Super Bowl, and winning the games this time.

Strauss : Thank you so much John. I really appreciate it.

Conner : No problem bud.

Announcement : Thank you for listening to the interview with John Conner. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you leave your comments below as well! Please check out my website https://prointerviews.org/ for other interviews, “LIKE” the Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ProInterviews/, and follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/ProInterviews/. Please subscribe to me on YouTube at http://youtube.com/ProInterviews/ Thanks again for listening! Stay tuned for more, and feel free to contact me!

->Here are some personal questions that John Conner answered.<-

Strauss : What is your favorite TV Show?

Conner : I watch a lot of everything. I really don’t have a favorite TV show.

Strauss : What is your favorite type of pie?

Conner : I would probably say sweet potato pie.

Strauss : Thank you so much for answering these also!

Conner : No problem. Thanks!