T.J. Green came to Clemson as a two-star athlete with just two scholarship offers on his résumé. On Friday he was selected as the No. 57 overall player by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
It’s quite the success story for this Sylacauga, Ala. native.
“It is just amazing man. Just finally to get to where you have wanted to be your whole life, it is amazing,” Green said on the Colts’ official twitter account moments after being drafted.
Green’s journey to the NFL, an ultimately Indianapolis, was one most thought would come by way of a free agent signing. Most of the so-called experts, and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, thought Green should have stayed another year in school where he could perhaps improve his stock, especially considering he had played the safety position just one year before becoming a full-time starter last season.
But when Green ran a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine this past February, everyone’s mind started to change about the 6-foot-3, 205-pound safety.
“I feel like it helped it a lot,” Green said about his 40-time. “With that speed, I have the versatility to play safety and corner so it showed my athleticism and showed teams what kind of athlete that I am. It made people want me to be on their team because there were multiple things I could do for them.”
The Colts drafted Green as a cornerback instead of as a safety, giving them one of the tallest and more physical cornerbacks in the NFL.
“I did visit the Colts. That visit went real well. We were on the same page the whole visit,” Green said. “We talked about what they wanted me to do for the Colts and what I wanted them to do for me, and what I wanted to do in that defense.
“We had a great conversation. We talked about the future of the Colts and how I wanted to be a part of it.”
Green says he is excited about playing for Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano, who started his coaching career as a defensive backs coach in the NFL.
“He kind of reminds me of Coach (Brent) Venables back at Clemson. He is that type of guy,” Green said. “I love his passion for the game. I think he will be a great guy to play for and a great guy to get better under.”
The former Clemson standout says he will do whatever it takes to help the Colts win next season, including work on special teams, but he hopes he can get back to returning kicks like he did from time-to-time at Clemson.
“That is something I would love to do,” he said. “We did not do it this past year as much, but I definitely want to do it at that level. I want to try it out and see if I can be great at it.”
Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports