Our UNC Pro Day Quotables series continues with the best quotes from running back Giovani Bernard.
Bernard emerged as a star tailback in the 2011 season and continued to excel in Larry Fedora’s spread offense in 2012. He rushed for 1,228 yards, set a UNC single-season record with 198.1 all-purpose yards per game, scored 19 touchdowns and finished one vote shy of being the ACC’s player of the year. With an unforgettable punt return, he also delivered a long-awaited win against N.C. State. Reporters spoke with Bernard on Tuesday to discuss his Pro Day experience and expectations for the NFL draft.
On whether he was happy with his Pro Day performance:
“Eh, you know, I just caught the ball. Hopefully, I caught all the balls. That’s the biggest thing — to show I have good hands, quickness, that kind of stuff. Agility. But for the most part, just to really have fun. It’s another kind of interview process. Hopefully, I did a good job with that.”
On the surprises that come in the draft process:
“I think every day is a surprise. You really never know what’s going to happen. You never know who’s going to call you. You never know who’s gonna wanna work out with you or take you on a workout or wants to visit.”
On what the NFL Combine was like:
“It was literally like a meat market. I enjoyed it. I mean, you gotta try to enjoy it because those four days are very long. A lot of people see just the running and when you actually go on the field, but there’s so much that happens before that. Those interview processes, it’s very hard to kind of prepare yourself for that. But I did a good job. The teams liked what they saw.”
On his expectations for the draft:
“Well, go as early as possible. I think that’s the biggest thing for me. Obviously, I wanna get picked high. But wherever I end up, I just want to get the opportunity to play in the league.”
On his decision to leave school early:
“I think it was definitely right for me. I think I accomplished a lot of things I wanted to accomplish coming into college. Obviously, I didn’t accomplish getting my degree, which I’m going to come back and get. That’s a huge thing for me. But for the most part, opportunities like this don’t really come around often, and it’s hard to pass up on.”
On how his playing style translates to the NFL:
“For me, I think it’s the same transition from high school to college. You just gotta find a way to kind of slow down the game for yourself because once you get to a certain level, guys are going to be bigger and faster than you. It’s just a matter of how you slow down the game.”
On whether he wants to be an every-down back:
“Heck, yeah. I don’t want to come off the field. I think for me, it’s alway about opportunities. And coach Fedora let me do the punt return, that’s another opportunity. Maybe kick returns at the next level to add something to my game, just to kind of be out there … I don’t care. I just want to be on the field, really.”
Our Pro Day Quotables series will continue will Sylvester Williams and Kevin Reddick in the coming days.
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