Former Oregon defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux set about trying to dispel concerns about his work ethic after arriving at the NFL Combine on Friday.
Thibodeaux dismissed the effort concerns as a “media narrative” and pointed out the work he had put into his football career to date.
“I don’t think I need to convince teams (I love this game), but that’s the media narrative,” Thibodeaux said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “There always has to be some narrative that’s drawn. For me, I’m (a Los Angeles) kid and if you know the adversity I went through to get here, and the things that I had to sacrifice, and the things my mother had to sacrifice for me to be here, you’d really understand how I feel in my heart. When you talk about fire, when you talk about passion, I think you can’t really explain it. I get emotional thinking about it, because all the sacrifices it took for me to get here, I wouldn’t have made those sacrifices if I didn’t love the game.”
Thibodeaux added that he wanted to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, a Super Bowl, and ultimately make the Pro Football Hall of Fame eventually.
While a highly-rated talent, Thibodeaux has been hit with the dreaded character concerns ahead of the draft. He had issued a brief response to them before, but this is his first real effort to address them at length.
Photo: Oct 15, 2021; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) warms-up with players before play California Golden Bears at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
