Teez Tabor comments on being drafted by the Detroit Lions
By Zac Snyder
Shortly after being selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Teez Tabor met with the media. Here’s what he had to say.
On how he is feeling right now: “I’m good. I’m good, just excited to be a Lion.”
On if he has talked to former Florida teammate LB Jarrad Davis about also being drafted by the Lions: “No, I haven’t talked to him yet. It’s been a little crazy right now. I’m going to talk to him as soon as everything settles down.”
On the type of relationship he has with Davis from their days at the University of Florida: “It’s going to be incredible. We have a great relationship, two of the hardest workers on Florida’s team. I feel like that’s the best thing we’re going to bring to Detroit. Two humble and hungry young men right now.”
On the members at his draft party wearing shirts that said ‘Press Play, Watch the Tape: “That’s just something my mom came up with. She didn’t really like everybody talking about the 40 time, so she just had some shirts made and just wanted to make a statement by saying ‘put on my tape.’ That’s really all it was.”
On what people would see if they watch his game film: “They would just see a kid who works hard every game, a kid who studies film, a kid that is a student of the game. They’re going to see what type of person I am through my film and how I carry myself and just the toughness that I bring to the game.”
On what his reaction was to his pre-draft workout performances: “I knew it was going to affect me a little bit, but I was just more focused on not Combine training, but training for the season and football. I really didn’t get too much discouraged.”
On why he said he was the best player in the draft and if he still feels that way: “Yes, sir. That statement just shows a lot about my confidence in myself and the type of confidence you have to play cornerback and football. Not just in college, but every level you play football you have to have a certain level of confidence at corner. So that’s just my confidence and that’s just saying that I’m not going to back down from any challenge when I step on the field.”
On if he has a relationship with Lions CB Darius Slay: “Yes, and it’s going to be really good. One of the things I said I wanted going into whoever picks me was somebody that I can come in and learn from and pick his brain. And I watch Slay’s game. I love his game, man. He’s one of the top corners in the League, so when I go in I’m going to be connected to him like his phone clip. I’m just going to be on his hip everywhere he goes. I want to study what he does and what makes him so good because I have a lot to learn.”
On if he and Slay can be ‘Pick Your Poison 3.0’: “We’re going to try to be as good as we can. He’s a really good player. I was a really good college player, hopefully I can step up in the NFL. But we’re going to hopefully be a really good bunch.”
On why he admires LaVar and Lonzo Ball: “I think it was like how they have their own brand. It was really cool. I guess it was more of that, like, how they have their own brand. Like, they have the ‘Ball Brothers’ or something like that, and I really liked just the concept behind how they have their own brand.”
On if he will make ‘Press Play, Watch the Tape’ his own brand some day: “Maybe, not yet. That’ll be in college. I haven’t done anything in the NFL yet. Hopefully, if I make a couple plays and help my team out to have success on the field, then maybe we can make some more shirts. But as of right now I have a clean slate and I’m just ready to come in and prove to Mr. Quinn and the Ford Family that they made the right decision.”
On what about his game fits at the NFL level and with the Lions’ scheme: “I think I’m just a very smart player, very instinctive player, student of the game, and I think that’s going to correlate well to the NFL.”
On what he remembers about Florida’s bowl game against Michigan: “I just remember when my former teammate and my teammate now, Jarrad Davis, hit the tight end really hard.”
Next: Experts react to Lions' pick of Tabor
*All quotes provided by the Detroit Lions.