Exclusive Interview
                                                       Khalil Paden

                                  By: Aaron Fischman

 

August 25, 2008 - Interview with Khalil Paden of San Jose State

Khalil Paden is a 6'1", 165 pound redshirt freshman who plays wide receiver for the San Jose State Spartans. He graduated from Cleveland High School in Reseda, CA. After playing WR as a junior, he finished his high school career as an option quarterback. Paden's older brother, Ahmad, also played for Cleveland High and their father was the team's offensive coordinator. Ahmad Paden -- who is a year older than Khalil -- now plays for San Diego State.

Paden redshirted in 2007. He is slotted for a wide receiving spot for the Spartans this season, but will have to wait to play until he has recovered from a broken hand. San Jose State opens their season against the UC Davis Aggies on Saturday, August 30.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Khalil to pick his brain about the upcoming college football season.

 

Aaron Fischman: San Jose State plays the San Diego State Aztecs on September 13. What would it mean to beat your brother's school?

Khalil Paden: My brother and I have already had a slight disgruntlement over which team is going to win the game this season. Any time he brings them up, I always say, 'We are gonna smash them' or 'They suck'. But in the end it's all love and I know San Diego is going to be a very competitive team this year. When they aren't playing us, I root for them.

AF: You redshirted as a freshman. How did it feel to redshirt? What kinds of things did you learn? Also, what kind of frustrations did you have, not being able to play? How did you get over that?

KP: I think that redshirting was the perfect situation for me because, coming in, I had to learn a new position, wide receiver, since I played quarterback in high school. It allowed me to gain twenty pounds and become more adept [at] being a [Division 1] receiver. The only frustrations I had as being a redshirt was just waking up at 6:00 in the morning to go be on the scout team. But I got over that because I knew it was good for me in the long run.

AF: What happened in a typical day for a redshirt freshman such as yourself?

KP: In the typical day as a redshirt there is really no difference between that of a traveling player. I still got up at the same time and did the same things at practice and lifting. The only difference was that I didn't travel or play on Saturdays.

AF: How have you spent the offseason?

KP: I've spent the offseason just working hard to get bigger, faster, and stronger. I spent my summer in San Jose lifting weights and running everyday, along with working on techniques as a receiver.

AF: Which key players are not returning this season? Why were those players so valuable to the team? Talk about the freshman class. Who will attempt to fill some of the void left by the guys who had to leave? Who are the key returners who will also try to fill that void?

KP: The key players that we lost last year were our linebacker, Matt Castello, who was signed by the Seahawks; our quarterback, Adam Tafralis; Dwight Lowery, a cornerback; John Booker, a lineman; and Waylon Prather, our punter.

I think we have done a pretty good job of filling those voids. We have brought in Coye Francies, a defensive back from Oregon State, who will probably be the best to ever come out of San Jose State. We also brought in Jeff Schweigert, a transfer DE from USC, and quarterback Kyle Reed from Cal. We moved Justin Cole, a top DE, to linebacker to help replace Matt Castello. And we have the best cornerback duo in the WAC (and one of the best in the nation) with Chris Owens and Coye Francies. Both will be first and second round draft picks.

Both of our top receivers are returning in Kevin Jurovich and David Richmond. And Yonus Davis, our tailback from two years ago, is back and will allow for a more effective running game.

AF: You guys only lost once at home all year and that loss was against the undefeated Hawaii Warriors. Talk about the atmosphere at Spartan Stadium. What makes it so difficult for opponents to win there?

KP: We have been 12-2 at home in the last two and a half years. I don't know what it is. I think it's just more fun playing in your home stadium and you have extra motivation because you want to get a victory for the crowd. Hopefully we continue the streak because we got some big games at home this year.

AF: Now that I've brought up the Hawaii game, let's discuss that a little. The team was leading at halftime against a Colt Brennan-led Hawaii team that was undefeated up to that point (also finished the regular season undefeated). How did it feel to watch your team nearly beat Hawaii?

KP: Well, I mean it was difficult to watch and even though we were up by 14 points toward the end, I was always nervous.

AF: Is there such a thing as a moral victory or was that loss just as bitter as, if not worse than, other losses?

KP: I don't think it was a moral victory, per say. But we just understood that we can beat the better teams in the nation and have just as much talent as them.

AF: What can you say about Colt Brennan after watching him play against your team? How do you think he'll fare in the NFL?

KP: I am actually a fan of Colt Brennan and I think that he is in a good system with the Washington Redskins and has a lot of talent around him. All these factors are key in how he will do on the professional level. I think he will end up being the starter for Washington and be a good player.

AF: The team's punter, Waylon Prather, graduated and signed with the New Orleans Saints. How do you think his departure will affect the team?

KP: Well, we brought in a new [junior college] transfer punter and he is doing really well. He isn't as good as Waylon at the moment. But he is doing very well and might be NFL-bound in his future.

AF: Give us a brief preview of what we should expect out of the WAC this year. Which teams do you expect to be at the top of the conference?

KP: I think the WAC improves every year and this year I would look for us, Fresno State, Boise State, and Nevada at the top of the conference.

AF: The Spartans were largely a passing team last year. Should we expect more of the same this season?

KP: Well, this year Yonus Davis is back at tailback and he is an amazing athlete. So our run game should be strong, but we do have a lot of weapons at receiver still. We will definitely still throw the ball a lot.

AF: Having lost the first three games of the season, and trailing 20-16 against Utah State, how did it feel to witness David Richmond's 31-yard touchdown catch? What did that game say about the team's resilience?

KP: That was a turning point in our season. Our non-conference schedule was pretty tough, playing Arizona State, Kansas State, and Stanford. So we needed to turn things around with that game and we did. I got nothing but love for David Richmond and he is a good friend and a great athlete. It was exciting to see him make that big play at the end for the win.

AF: I have to ask about the upcoming game against UC Davis, since I attend the school. You play them on opening night, having beat them 34-14 last season (I was there). Would you like to make any bold predictions for the game (I'll be there)? Here's your chance to be humble!

KP: UC Davis is [a] very strong team and are nothing to take lightly. But this year we have a lot of talent across the board. I'm gonna have to say we take the victory 34-6. But I wish UC Davis the best with the rest of their season.

Thanks, Khalil. We wish you the best of luck with the season. Well, in every game except the one against UC Davis anyway. Hope you recover quickly from the hand injury.

 

 

 

 

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