Q&A with Taylor Embree. These are 11 of your questions (including a bonus question) for the freshman receiver.
Q: Which player or coach believes he’s the best dressed but really isn’t?
A: Kahlil Bell. He has spurts where he has nice little outfits, but he has too many days where I don’t know what he’s wearing or what he’s doing. Definitely Kahlil. He wears girls glasses or something, too. Sunglasses.
Q: What kind of food do you get at the training table and is it any good?
A: We get a mixture of Chinese food, steak sometimes, shrimp and salmon. For the most part, it’s pretty good. There are nights where it’s kind of hard to get it down. But for the most part, it’s pretty good.
Q: Who would win a one-on-one hoops game … you or Nelson Rosario?
A: Oooh. I haven’t played him yet. I think I would. I’d lock him down defensively. He’s taller than me, but I don’t know if he can shoot. I think he can just jump. I know he has a 39-inch vertical, but if he goes up, I’ll try to body him and foul him. I don’t think he can shoot, though. I don’t know if he has a jump shot.
Q: KC BBQ (Kansas City Barbeque) … ribs or pulled pork? (Embree prepped in Kansas)
A: Oooh. Ribs. Definitely. Man, I’ve never had anything better. That’s the best food. KC ribs and KC steak. I just have to wait until I get back home.
Q: What goes through your mind when you’re about to catch a pass and you know you’ll be hit by a defensive back?
A: Just catch it. You know, you really don’t have too much time to think. When you see a DB coming out of the corner of your eye, you really just have to focus in on the ball. I try to focus extra hard on the ball. If I drop it, I’ll be hit and have dropped it. I think about concentrating a little harder on the ball.
Q: If you were a super hero, what would your outfit be? And your powers?
A: I’d probably have to wear a regular outfit, maybe a football jersey or something. Maybe some shorts. I couldn’t be in a tight, tight uniform. I’d have to be in something loose. Probably Jordan shorts, Jordan shoes and a Plaxico Burresss jersey. I’d just want to fly. It’d be cool just to fly around.
Q: Han Solo or Captain Kirk?
A: Han Solo, definitely. I’m a big Star Wars fan. I love Star Wars. Kahlil just told me about the Star Wars video game he bought.
Q: You were a half-star recruit. How would you rate yourself?
A: I’d give myself a little more than a half-star. Maybe a star and a half. Hey, I’ve never been into those ratings. I’d give myself a star and a half. I couldn’t give myself too many stars. That’s not the right thing to do.
Q: Who would you rather meet? Jason Taylor or Taylor Swift is.
A: Jason Taylor. I don’t know who Taylor Swift is. Is she cute? Then maybe Taylor Swift. Jason Taylor is a great athlete. He was with Miami when they were struggling. He’s a great team player and he played hard every game. Especially being in our situation and struggling, it’s great to see someone, especially in the NFL, to keep playing hard even though things are going bad for the team. But I’m going to have to look up Taylor Swift tonight.
Q: If you were asked, would you do Dancing with the Stars?
A: Maybe. But I’d be pretty bad. I have a little dance move, but I don’t know if I could do all that. I’d probably make a fool of myself. I’d do it to give my friends and family laughs.
Bonus..
Q: Did your dad (former UCLA assistant coach Jon) do any other drills with you beside the tennis ball drill?
A: We did golf ball drills. You have two cones, four yards apart, and he rolls golf balls and you have to catch them with your hands. You have to go down one-handed, get it, and go side to side. It’s about hand-eye coordination. He has so many drills, I don’t even know where to start. Wrong shoulder drills, where you run this way and he throws it that way and you have to rotate your head and catch it. Ones where you have your back turned toward him and he’ll throw the ball and he’ll say NOW, and you have to turn around it and find it and catch it. High ball drills, low ball drills. Every drill you can think of, I’ve probably done it.