On Friday, Oregon Geese edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux showcased his chess sport and a powerful acumen for soccer.
INDIANAPOLIS — Kayvon Thibodeaux needs to use strain. On chess boards and quarterbacks.
On Friday morning, the previous star Oregon edge rusher spoke to a bunch of drained media people on the 2022 NFL Scouting Mix. In his greater than 20 minutes talking, Thibodeaux conveyed a love of chess, harkening again to childhood occasions along with his uncles in South Central Los Angeles.
Whether or not behind a board or on turf, Thibodeaux’s technique doesn’t change.
“I’m very aggressive,” Thibodeaux mentioned. “You need to put individuals in strain moments, so that you get what you need out of the scenario. I’m placing my queen on the market first and I’m making you make selections. Lots of people make dangerous selections after they’re beneath strain. Similar to quarterbacks.”
Studying the sport by enjoying an app, Thibodeaux turned a pupil of the craft. In recent times, the identical is true of his soccer acumen. Rising into changing into a high prospect, Thibodeaux has studied a litany of edge rushers, together with Von Miller, Chandler Jones, T.J. Watt, Willie McGinest and DeMarcus Ware.
And whereas he took one thing from every of their video games, Thibodeaux’s curiosity in chess speaks to his general philosophy.
“Chess is life, and chess is soccer,” Thibodeaux mentioned. “You speak about doing all of your first transfer, your first transfer goes to arrange your second transfer, and then you definately’re considering your third transfer forward. When you consider move rush, I’m going to hit you with pace first. Velocity, pace, pace. Then that’s going to arrange my energy strikes, after which my energy strikes are going to arrange my counter.”
At present, Thibodeaux is competing with Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson for high billing in a loaded draft class for edge rushers. At Oregon, the California native notched 19 sacks over three years earlier than declaring for the NFL Draft. Final 12 months, he totaled seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss, serving to the Geese win 10 video games.
Now coming into the skilled ranks, Thibodeaux has to persuade a membership why he’s value a top-10 decide. Having met with the New York Giants and New York Jets amongst others, he’s wanting to show his value on the subsequent stage.
“I believe the most important factor I need to articulate to groups is that I’m actually a pupil of the sport,” Thibodeaux mentioned. “I actually love this sport. It’s achieved quite a bit for me. Soccer has taught me quite a bit, helped me develop quite a bit by means of my life. It is going to be there till the day I die. For me, simply letting groups know that is the principle factor, and I’m all the time going to maintain the principle factor, the principle factor. It doesn’t matter what I do off the sphere, soccer is my predominant focus. Profitable a Tremendous Bowl, getting a gold jacket, being Defensive Rookie of the Yr is on my listing of objectives.”
Understanding on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, Thibodeaux has an opportunity to show his level athletically, making a case for himself as a high decide.
Earlier than then, it’s workforce interviews and strategizing. Then, it’s his transfer.
