Clyde Pinder Jr. is a 6'2" 309 pound dynamo defensive tackle from Armwood, Florida. Although I love focusing on all things quarterbacks, I can appreciate the war daddies who would occasionally sack me and give me a few choice words of life advice. I had the absolute pleasure to sit down with the talented young man and hear some of his thoughts.
Whose NFL game do you pattern yourself after? "I really don't watch the NFL but Aaron Donald is a big influence on me because of his height."
Donald was an ACC coastal foe and Pittsburgh alum. He was a beast. He scared me when he played Miami. Didn't matter how tall, his motor and tenacity scared me. So you agree height isn't always everything? "A lot of these tall recruits 6’3 and higher are only looked at because of height, so many slept on kids that go get it, their work goes unnoticed. And a lot of kids with height aren’t that good."
By the way, speaking of your influence, you actually rank higher than Aaron Donald did out of high school. How much does that 4th star mean to you? "I mean I already have it on Rivals and soon to be 24/7. It is just a thing but it does help me get noticed in this process."
What's the one thing you want people to know about you that the casual fan doesn't know? "Good Christian kid! Not caught in the mix at all. People also thought Miami didn’t offer me because of my grades. My grades are no problem at all. I have good test scores and grades, I have a 23 on my act."
A good Christian kid huh? What is your favorite verse? Mine is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. "Mine too. I have it tattooed on me. It is in my header pic too."
What's your strengths as a player? What's your areas you will improve? "My hips and how loose I am is my strength and I work good hands but I need to continue to work my hands."
What is the one thing you want all these coaches, Canes and others, to know about Clyde Pinder Jr.? "A young go-getter and I want to show them what they are missing out on. I have my my own mindset. I feel like no one really has felt that much what I go through in football such as getting recruited and going to camps. I work so hard, I dominate everything as well."
What would the Miami offer mean to you? "It would feel good to receive one. It isn't just Miami coaches sleeping on me it's others as well. I just want to help other dudes in my situation so we all are not slept on."
I saw you lifting weights on my timeline. I don't think I have slept since. Those sort of things keeps quarterbacks up at night. "(Laughs)."
Favorite Miami player? "Don't really have one."
Oh come on, Ray Lewis isn't cool? Warren Sapp, he's a fellow defensive tackle? He was a little good right? "Warren Sapp of course (Laughs)."
I think I have seen this episode before. I know in my heart if Miami does this wrong you'll no doubt be sacking Cane QB's for the next three to four years. "Thank you, my work ethic is crazy. I am a grinder. I work hard everyday because of how slept on I am. It is frustrating but I keep my head up."
Whose NFL game do you pattern yourself after? "I really don't watch the NFL but Aaron Donald is a big influence on me because of his height."
Donald was an ACC coastal foe and Pittsburgh alum. He was a beast. He scared me when he played Miami. Didn't matter how tall, his motor and tenacity scared me. So you agree height isn't always everything? "A lot of these tall recruits 6’3 and higher are only looked at because of height, so many slept on kids that go get it, their work goes unnoticed. And a lot of kids with height aren’t that good."
By the way, speaking of your influence, you actually rank higher than Aaron Donald did out of high school. How much does that 4th star mean to you? "I mean I already have it on Rivals and soon to be 24/7. It is just a thing but it does help me get noticed in this process."
What's the one thing you want people to know about you that the casual fan doesn't know? "Good Christian kid! Not caught in the mix at all. People also thought Miami didn’t offer me because of my grades. My grades are no problem at all. I have good test scores and grades, I have a 23 on my act."
A good Christian kid huh? What is your favorite verse? Mine is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. "Mine too. I have it tattooed on me. It is in my header pic too."
What's your strengths as a player? What's your areas you will improve? "My hips and how loose I am is my strength and I work good hands but I need to continue to work my hands."
What is the one thing you want all these coaches, Canes and others, to know about Clyde Pinder Jr.? "A young go-getter and I want to show them what they are missing out on. I have my my own mindset. I feel like no one really has felt that much what I go through in football such as getting recruited and going to camps. I work so hard, I dominate everything as well."
What would the Miami offer mean to you? "It would feel good to receive one. It isn't just Miami coaches sleeping on me it's others as well. I just want to help other dudes in my situation so we all are not slept on."
I saw you lifting weights on my timeline. I don't think I have slept since. Those sort of things keeps quarterbacks up at night. "(Laughs)."
Favorite Miami player? "Don't really have one."
Oh come on, Ray Lewis isn't cool? Warren Sapp, he's a fellow defensive tackle? He was a little good right? "Warren Sapp of course (Laughs)."
I think I have seen this episode before. I know in my heart if Miami does this wrong you'll no doubt be sacking Cane QB's for the next three to four years. "Thank you, my work ethic is crazy. I am a grinder. I work hard everyday because of how slept on I am. It is frustrating but I keep my head up."
