Q&A With Derek Stingley Jr.: Going No. 3 Overall, Which WR He Wants To Cover, More

The Houston Texans knew exactly who they were going to take with the third overall pick.

Despite his recent injuries, the Texans took Derek Stingley Jr. as he’s set to start right away and be a lockdown cornerback for many years to come.

After Stingley Jr. was picked, we caught up with him to discuss how he was feeling, which wide receiver he’s most looking forward to covering, what he liked most about playing at LSU, and his partnership with Mad Rabbit.

The Spun: First off, congratulations to you on getting picked by the Houston Texans. How excited are you to be a Texan moving forward?

Stingley Jr.: I’m very excited. I can’t wait to get out there.

The Spun: When did you find out you were going to be the pick?

Stingley Jr.: I mean, I pretty much knew that I was going to be around that area and then they called whenever the Lions had their pick and that’s when I knew they were going to pick me.

The Spun: How do you feel like you fit in Love Smith’s defensive system?

Stingley Jr.: I think that whatever he chooses, however, he runs his system, I think that I can fit in anything. I can play man and zone and he’s a defensive-minded coach so he knows where to put his players.

The Spun: With all the great receivers in the NFL. is there one or two that you’re most looking forward to covering?

Stingley Jr.: Nah, I mean at this point everybody is really good, so everybody who I face, I will definitely be excited to go against them.

The Spun: Going off that, who was tougher to guard against in practice when you were at LSU: Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase?

Stingley Jr.: Ja’Marr was tougher to guard just because he was stronger but Justin was still really good. He was right there with him.

The Spun: How did you handle rehabbing your injury and also preparing for the draft?

Stingley Jr.: I took it day by day and then the next thing I realized, I was walking. After that, I was finally able to put some real weight on it and then I got cleared so I was really just taking it day by day, just seeing and appreciating the small wins.

The Spun: Were you worried about sliding because of the time you missed?

Stingley Jr.: Nah, not at all. Nobody at the NFL level is worried about a Lisfranc injury.

The Spun: What was your favorite moment about playing for the Tigers?

Stingley Jr.: I would probably say running out of the tunnel. The first time I went out, they shoot out fireworks and I forgot about that. I heard it and I kinda jumped a little bit, but that was definitely the best part about it every week.

The Spun: Talk about your partnership with Mad Rabbit a little bit. If there’s one tattoo that has the most meaning to you, which one is it?

Stingley Jr.: I would probably say it’s the one I got on my ribs. It’s a quote that my dad would always tell us about the 10 90. 10% what happens to you, 90% how you react to it. I kind of got that all the way down so, that’s something I try to live by and it was probably the most important one to me.

Check out more of our interviews with the game’s biggest stars here.

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