Packers Q&A with Chandon Sullivan

Packer: Chandon Sullivan

Number: 39

Position: Cornerback

College: Georgia State

Draft: 2018, undrafted

Season: 2nd

Age: 23

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 189 pounds

Q: After being released by Philadelphia after the draft, when did you know you had made it this summer?

A: My mind-set is never that I made anything or that I’ve arrived. The way I was brought up from my parents and my earlier coaches was to never be satisfied. I never feel like I’ve arrived. Even after this past game, I still feel like there’s so much more I have left to show. I’m just hungry every day.

Q: You played in five games and even started once for the Eagles. Was being released a blow to your confidence?

A: Even when I got released, I never lost confidence in myself. I realized what my mistakes were, I evaluated them and I made sure to not make those same mistakes again. I’ve never lost confidence. I’m fortunate enough to be here in this situation.

Q: You signed with the Packers a couple days later. Can you take me through that?

A: Philly released me. Within the next 24 hours, I had a few teams calling. One unique situation was Green Bay. ‘We think your talents will fit right in with these guys. We’ve got a young DB corps. You can come in and compete. It’ll be a great opportunity for you.’ So I told my agent, ‘I think Green Bay is where I want to go. I feel like I can compete there and I have a lot to offer.’ I was able to perform well in the preseason and camp and earn a 53-man spot.

Q: How did you end up at Georgia State?

A: I grew up in the metro Atlanta area — north Atlanta. Georgia State was a new program and they kind of found me. I had some good stats coming out of high school but I was overlooked just because of the area I was in. I’m coming out of an area where it’s the Alvin Kamaras of the world, the Deshaun Watsons — just so many top-name guys, so I kind of floated under the radar. Georgia State was a new program and the head coach came to me and was like, ‘If you come to me, I think I can develop you and turn you into an NFL player.’ That’s how it happened.

Q: Georgia State didn’t join FBS until 2013. Was it a gamble to go with such an unknown school?

A: I guess you can say it was a gamble but, at the same time, it was a new program, so instead of following someone else’s tradition, I was able to help set our own, write our own records, break records, set records. So, I was excited, and it was close to home, so my family was at every game. To see the program built over the four years, it was perfect.

Q: You were an Academic All-American?

A: We took grades very seriously. My dad, he taught us to try to be the best at everything you can. Growing up, it was always straight-A’s. If you brought home a B, that’s OK but you’re going to hear about it for a little while. Hat’s off to my dad and my mom.

Q: What was your GPA and major?

A: I graduated with a 3.84 with a major in journalism and minor in sociology.

Q: So you want my job?

A: It’s right up my alley. This is what I enjoy doing. This is what I want to do when football’s over.

Q: Writer? TV?

A: More TV — broadcasting, per se. That’s what I did in college — a little interning. I enjoyed it.

Q: What did you do during your internship?

A: We had a TV station for Georgia State called GSU-TV, so they go around filming concerts, they cover all the sporting events. I was able to anchor a little bit. That was kind of unique and showed another skill set I had.

Q: A lot of people don’t realize how smart you guys are. How important is intelligence?

A: People don’t realize the games are 90 percent mental. It’s all in your preparation. Can you get the information you need pre-snap and then, post-snap, what can you do with it? Physically, skill set-wise, you’re good enough. That’s why you’re here in the league. That’s going to take care of itself. It’s how can you process information? That’s what separates the Aaron Rodgers from the rest of the quarterbacks in the league or the top cornerback or the top safety. It’s how well can you process the information and react? That’s all it comes down to.

Q: You had the interception at Dallas in which you did Nick Collins’ celebration after his pick-six in the Super Bowl. What was the genesis of that?

A: If you walk out of here like you’re leaving the building, if you look to your left, you’ll see the picture from the Super Bowl. He’s on his knee like this. I guess it was kind of on my mind subconsciously. We had a plan — I’m not going to tell you what we were going to do — but in the heat of the moment, being my first interception, I was like, ‘Man, I know what I’m going to do.’ I ran to the end zone. I knew we were going to take a group photo and I posed. I knew that the photographers were going to get a picture of me solo, just like how he did it when they took it. So, I posted the picture and it kind of took off. So, that’s kind of cool.

Q: That’s a legendary play around here. Were you aware of that?

A: I didn’t really understand how big it was. I’ve seen the play just growing up, but I didn’t realize as serious as it was. I thought it would be cool to pay homage to somebody, a secondary guy like myself.