BOLT BEAT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Travon Patterson – WR/KR

In my eyes, Travon Patterson is one of the most intriguing players who is competing for roster spot. What he brings to the team is a diverse pass catcher with blazing speed and agility. Patterson is not the conventional type of Wide Receiver for the Chargers in one main aspect. The San Diego Chargers don’t often bring on receivers under 6’0″. Travon measures in at 5’9″ and 175 lbs. He played at both Southern California and Colorado before going undrafted and being signed by the Chargers.

So what was it about him that was so intriguing to San Diego? Here’s what I see!Speed: A nice change of pace in the pass game and the ability to utilize him in a DeSean Jackson/Percy Harvin role.

Crisp Routes: This guy runs some of the cleanest and sharpest routes I’ve seen. Combined with his speed out of his breaks, he could change games!

Ankle Breaker: If you watch Travon’s USC practice film, you will see more ankle breaking moves than you can handle. It’s amazing how even with the defense knowing how fast and agile he is, they still cannot keep up with him.

Versatility: When you think of a smaller guy, you would pigeon hole their receiving abilities to the “slot” style receiver. DeSean Jackson has proved that smaller guys can play on the outside too. As long as you have the speed and ability to get beyond the defense, you will make a great deep threat. My favorite outside route that I see him run is the curl route and here is why. Defenders give him a good size cushion because they don’t want to be burnt, so when he gets 10 yards out he catches them on their turn leaving them off-balance and out of position to make the play.

Special Teams: No doubt about it, with speed like Patterson has he could make a great impact on special teams as a return man. I hope the Chargers give him a shot to field some kickoffs along side Bryan Walters.

MAKE SURE TO WATCH THIS HIGHLIGHT VIDEO OF HIM THAT I MADE!

Here it goes:

1. Your first NFL game was played against your prior coach at USC, Pete Carroll. How did that feel to get out there and show him what kind of talent you bring to the next level?It felt great going out there and playing in front of coach Carroll I believed I showed him just a glimpse of what’s to come for me at the NFL level. Honestly after the game he talked to me and told me how excited he was of me and how great I looked on the field.

2. After going undrafted what was your mindset in finding an NFL team? How did you end up with San Diego?My mindset after going undrafted was set on working harder to prove to NFL coaches i have the talent to play in the league. And I’m blessed the chargers opened the door for me to showcase my talents. I ended up with San Diego because it looked like it would be a good fit for me to play wr and return punt and kicks.

3. The Chargers are known for having very tall wide receivers. At 5’9″ you are bringing a whole new aspect to our offense. What 3 things do you feel you bring to the table?Im a different receiver from the rest of my teammates. I feel I add a dimension of speed and quickness to the receiving core. I run nice routes and I know how to get open and I feel I can help the offense.

4. Since entering camp, who has been the most influential player for you whether it be by mentoring, watching, or just talking to?Since entering camp i try to talk to all the vets to learn from them. But I can’t name who has been the most influential because everyone I talk to looks to give me advice and help whenever I need it. After talking to Antonio Gates he just motivated me to work hard because he walked the same road before by coming in as a free agent. I was able to pick his brain on how to work.

5. When watching your practice film from USC you can definitely tell that you practice route running often and emphasize your footwork. What is your favorite route to run and why?Yes I wok hard in the off season with a group of guys who are all as dedicated as I am about football. I’ll have to thank EVO sports training for training me since high school with feet and speed work because it got me where i am now. Working with guys like De Sean Jackson, Terrence Austin, Donovan Warren we all pushed each other to the limit to get better and criticized when we knew each other could get better. My favorites route to run is a go because it allows me to show my speed and score quick. But I can run every route in the book.

6. After a few years at USC you transferred to finish your senior year at Colorado. Explain what the transfer experience and ability to adapt to a new offense was like for you.The experience of transferring was a good experience. Being in a different environment was nice and the people out in boulder helped me make it easy. Learning a new playbook helped me a lot because it showed me how smart of football player I am. I was able to pick up the offense fairly quick so that I could play fast once i touched the field.

7. What are the biggest differences that you are noticing from playing in the NCAA to the NFL?The difference between the NCAA and NFL is the speed. The guys here know exactly where to be so you have no time for mistakes. But having coach Carroll as my college coach he prepped us for these moments.

8. Who is your biggest motivator? What fuels you to show up every day and prove you deserve a roster spot?My family is my motivator. They have faith and confidence in me they always believed in me and never let me give up. I show up everyday thinking if my grandpa was here how proud he would be of me. But since I know he is watching I give it my all and also talking to GOD makes me know I deserve a roster spot.

9. If you had the ability to run along side any player in NFL history and mentor with them, who would it be and why?It would have to be Deion Sanders I liked the passion he had for the game. Also growing up he was my favorite player of any position on the field. His confidence was high which is what you need to play this game.

10. If you could tell Charger fans one thing about you that they should know what would it be?I would tell the chargers fans that I work hard and I play big although i may be small.

11. You really seemed to find your groove toward the end of preseason week 1 vs the Seahawks. How did it feel to find your groove and make some big plays?It felt good to find my groove in that game it just showed that i can play at this level of competition but that’s only the first game. It brought more confidence to my game.

12. What can we expect from Travon Patterson throughout the rest of the preseason?Throughout this preseason you can expect Travon Patterson to give a 110 percent on that football field and doing what it takes to be a team player.

Thank you so much for the interview Travon! We all wish you the best of luck and keep up the good work. Show what you got this week in Dallas and we will all keep our eyes open!