2014 DB Parrker Westphal Has Amazing Skills and is a Great Young Man. He Talks Michigan State & More!

2014 DB Parrker Westphal Has Amazing Skills and is a Great Young Man. He Talks Michigan State & More!

Q: Parrker, how are you brother?

A: I appreciate the introduction. I'm doing good.

Q: What a job your family has done raising a gentleman with you.

A: Thanks.

Q: What is it about your family? They've done a really good job.

A: My family just emphasizes family first. So that's my main focus...family.

Q: When did you know you were pretty good at football?

A: Ever since I've been playing my big brother. So I've always had a 5 year head start...he's 22 now. When I was 5 he was 10, so I've always had the over training the other kids probably didn't have. That's probably my biggest benefit. Right now I still don't see that I'm the best player in the country yet. It's always been my goal to win the Heisman and I'm not there yet, so I'm not satisfied.

Q: Most young men at your age are not able to flip their hips the way you do. Have you had great coaching or do you just have phenomenal God-given talent?

A: I don't know, I just work hard. I give most of the credit to my big brother and my coach, Todd Howard. He played in the league for a couple of years and he's just give me everything he's learned. He's passed down all the information, all the knowledge he's gained over the years.

Q: Are you able to appreciate the gift that they've given you in giving you such great technique at a young age?

A: Yes, because I got a head start on all the other kids. When I was younger my brother was already in college. So I had college-level knowledge when I was in Pop Warner.

Q: Tell everyone about your brother. He's a great football player too.

A: He plays at Illinois State, outside linebacker. He's a big boy. He's like 6'10", 233 lbs. He probably runs a 4.4 40. But out of high school...you know how the media wasn't big back then...he had offers from Iowa, New Mexico State, North Dakota State, South Dakota, Illinois State. He chose to go to Illinois State. He's gonna graduate...

Q: For your speed...I hear you're a 4.4, but I also hear you've been clocked at 4.3 a couple of times. Is that true?

A: I don't now about a 4.3 but I've been clocked at a 4.40 a couple times.

Q: How much do you weigh, Parrker?

A: 186 lbs.

Q: One of your very good friends is Enoch Smith. Enoch is a Spartan. Has he been trying to get you to turn green?

A: He's been trying to get me to turn green ever since he committed. He's always in my ear. He's real friendly. We talk every now and then. I was gonna try and visit with him this weekend because he's going down there, but I've got football so I can't.

Q: How much would you like to play with him? Is that gonna go into your thinking process at all?

A: It really wouldn't affect my recruitment that much, but it would be cool playing alongside of a friend. Especially on defense, we tag team. He gets the sacks, I get the interceptions and help each other out.

Q: Michigan State's defense is consistently in the top 5 in the country. They've put a lot of guys in the NFL. Does that go into your thinking at all?

A: Not really, because I feel like the NFL finds you wherever you're at. I feel like the potential that you have and you create. It depends on the player if he wants to go or not. If I work hard then I'll get there. So it's not really on the coaches. But the defense they run, they put the player in a position where they can play.

Q: Have you spent a lot of time talking with Harlon Barnett?

A: Yeah.

Q: Would you give us your impressions, what you think of him?

A: He's very down-to-earth. I can have a conversation with him like a friend. We joke around a lot. We don't really talk much football. He was All-American in college. I've seen a couple of his highlights on YouTube, him knocking somebody out. He's a real cool dude.

Q: His nickname around here is Da Bang Stick because he hit people like he had a concrete stick. When you see those YouTube videos, that's pretty impressive isn't it?

A: Yeah.

Q: A lot of corner backs are not guys that necessarily like to come up and hit. But you like to hit like a linebacker. You're not afraid to go up and pop some people, are ya?

A: No, not at all.

Q: Does that just come back to playing with an older brother that you weren't afraid of getting hit or hitting people?

A: Yeah, it’s probably from him bullying me when I was younger and just seeing him. He gave a couple of his DB's in high school some concussions. Just don't be afraid to throw your body around.

Q: If you make the league, you owe your brother a car for bullying you. How's that? You gotta tell him that Hondo from Spartan Nation says that.

A: We'll see about that.

Q: Does Michigan State have a legitimate shot at Parrker Westphal picking them to play for?

A: Yeah, Michigan State definitely has a legitimate shot.

Q: Do you have a time frame of when you wanna make your decision or are you just gonna wake up one day, eating your Wheaties, and decide where you wanna go?

A: I'm just gonna go whenever it feels comfortable because I don't really have a set date. Whenever I know it's right because I don't wanna regret my decision.

Q: Have you been on campus yet and are you planning on coming up for a visit?

A: I'd been on campus last year in the spring in spring practice, but I plan on hopefully getting down there with Enoch the next time he visits.

Q: Wherever you go we're gonna be rooting for you. I wish you well.

A: Thanks. I really appreciate it.