The New Class: Carson Lydon
Advertisement
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 230
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Tarpon Springs, Fla.
Prep School: East Lake
Rivals.com Rating: 5.5, three stars
Recruited by: Torrian Gray
Has your size changed at all?
I'm 6'2" and 245 now.
What does your workout routine entail?
I've been working on getting my cardio up, getting my upper-body strength up. I've got good lower-body strength, I ahve to work on it still, but I have to get my upper-body caught up with more of a college speed.
What do you plan on working or improving on through this summer?
Everything. I can improve in every aspect of the game and I'm gonna have to if I wanna succeed at this level.
How would you describe your playing style?
Controlled crazy. I have a switch I can flip during games. I can flip it and part of me goes a bit loco and that side comes out. But I can direct and control it, not to be a loose cannon, but to be a wildcard for us.
What are some of your goals for your freshman season at Virginia Tech?
I wanna complete all seven days of 'hell week' and earn seven t-shirts. I wanna get a chance to work my way up to a starting position, taking a bit of a lead and helping our defense. I wanna become a better all-around student, football player, athlete and person, well-rounded in all aspects of life. As much as everyone loves football, there is life outside of it and you can't just be good at football. You have to be good at being a person. I also wanna, during this time period of building, I wanna make my body a true weapon. A linebacker, our craft is built around our body. I have to turn it into a weapon. From just a regular sword, I've gotta turn it into a weapon of mass destruction, so I'm able to succeed at this level, a personal 'WMD.'
What player or team are you most looking forward to going up against?
Ohio State. Obviously, we beat them last year at the 'Horseshoe' and they're gonna be coming back with a vengeance. I can't wait to play the national champion for my first game. I couldn't think of a better way to start a career as a Hokie than getting back to back wins against a program like that, that's the national champions. I hate Ohio State, but I was hoping they would win, so we'd be the only team to beat them this year and so we can beat them next year.
What's your favorite food?
Pizza. My favorite is just cheese pizza.
What is your favorite movie?
That's a tough one. If I had to pick my favorite, it would be 'Braveheart.'
What is your favorite TV show?
I don't really watch too much TV. If I watch something, it's on Netflix. I'll turn on 'Dexter,' so we can go with that.
What's the one song you're getting amped up to before a game?
If I had to pick one, it would be 'Jungle,' by X Ambassadors. I figured 'Enter Sandman' was already a given.
What would be three words to describe you?
Empathetic, determined and loyal.
If you could date any celebrity, who would it be?
Hmm, any celebrity. Jennifer Lopez. I gotta like that latina booty.
If you could go toe to toe in the ring with anybody, who would it be?
Floyd Mayweather. I like to go against the best. I don't back down from a challenge so I can take on the best. I like to get them out of the way first, because everyone will fall in line with me.
What's been your most memorable experience playing football?
It's hard to pick a moment, because there's been moments that defined every season and made each game a game. I play every game like it's the national championship, so every game has a defining moment to me that I can't just pick one. I make so many memories with friends and teammates and coaches and opponents, that I can't just pick one. The entire sport and the entire game, is just it for me. I can't pick one memory from it.
What's the one thing you learned from your recruitment that you would pass on as advice to a future recruit?
You can't follow a sales pitch. You have to go and follow your heart, because you'll find a place that really speaks to you. You can't go on somewhere saying, 'You're gonna start' and 'You're a superstar.' You can't listen to people like that. You just have to feel it out for yourself and you can't get caught up in all the hype. And also, UVA sucks.
Note: Not including Rivals' premium sites, do not copy/paste and or repost this column outside of Rivals.com, particularly on message boards, chat rooms and e-mails, as it is a direct violation of copyright laws. Thank you.