To become the fourth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2020, Troy Pride Jr. first had to survive a wreck that could have killed him 11 months ago.
Then, after a fine senior season as a cornerback at Notre Dame, he had to watch himself slide down the NFL draft board past the second and third rounds _ where he felt he belonged _ all the way to Day 3.
"I'll just let that be the fuel to a forest fire," Pride said in a phone interview. "I want to show 31 other teams what they missed out on."
Pride, whose confidence and South Carolina roots are reminiscent of former Panther star corner Josh Norman, is the favorite to eventually take the place of James Bradberry in Carolina's starting lineup this season.
Bradberry left for huge money with the New York Giants. Pride _ who grew up in Greer, S.C., 90 miles from Charlotte, and once made it onto the Bank of America Stadium video boards as a 9-year old _ wants to be the next man up. That means a steady diet of Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Drew Brees, three veteran quarterbacks in the NFC South who have happily targeted rookie cornerbacks for years.
Pride, whose No. 1 attribute is his elite speed, said he'll be prepared. "I know the Panthers have someone who is way better than a lot of people think," he said. "So, whenever I can show that, I'm ready to do it."
I talked with Pride by phone Wednesday night in South Bend, Ind., where he was packing up his college apartment before driving back home to Greer. He had performed the mirror image of that drive _ from South Carolina to South Bend _ on June 2, 2019.
