December 15, 2023 • 11 mins
In this episode of the Packers POV podcast, cornerback Carrington Valentine talks about playing NFL football while taking college classes and shares what graduating from the University of Kentucky will mean to him.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hello, and welcome to Packers POV, a podcast that aims
to shine a light onto human behind the helmet. I'm
your host, Taylor Rodgers, and we are here inside historic
lambeau Field. Today's guest led Kentucky in past breakups. Last
season while becoming a two time SEC Honor Roll student.
Originally from Cincinnati, he helped Archbishop Mueller High School win
(00:27):
a basketball state title. I'm thrilled to introduce Packers cornerback
Carrington Valentine. Welcome man, Thanks for having me, Thanks for
making time for this.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And how was the bye week?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
I know it wasn't yesterday, but did you get a
little time in the middle of the season to sort
of break off from football?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, definitely. I just I went home and visited my
family and saw some of my friends, and, you know,
just kind of decompressed from football. So that was pretty nice.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
So you mentioned your family. Yeah, the Valentines, in your words,
are the most competitive family in the country.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yeah, we all played sports. I'm the youngest, so I
have three older siblings, so it was already a competitive
thing when I was born. So basically I kind of
just was born into it. My sister played college basketball,
my brothers. They played. My brother played soccer, my other
brother played football. So basically, you know, I just had
to really fall in line with everything because that's kind
(01:21):
of what the standard was. My mom holds us to
a high stand there with my dad, So it was,
you know, sink or swim, So I just kept swimming
and you know, competed with all of them. You know,
we all at some point played the same sport, so
you know, we all got after each other and stuff
like that because I played basketball, So we all played
basketball at the point. It might have not been our
(01:41):
primary sport that we played, but we all played it.
So you know, that was one thing we all were,
you know, gotting to see who was better than each other.
So but yeah, our household is pretty competitive, so I
would I want to see if anybody can really you know,
step up to that challenge and trying to beat us
in that one. Gotcha?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
So basketball was common ground. But for people out there
listening as the youngest sibling, yeah, what was your way
of sort of staying in the fight.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Basically, it's been now it's admitted that they would admit
to me when I was younger that I'm probably the
most athletic one in the family. My mom would always
say that I was. Probably she never respected me to
be the most athletic because of you know, I do
goofy things when I was younger, so she said that
she never saw it, but I guess people around her,
you know, told her that I was, you know, really athletic.
So taken away from that, uh, you know, football was
(02:28):
my kind of separation point. And you know, not all
of them were like really good at football. They'd be like,
you know, decent, so I try to bring them to
the football world and are less race or something like that,
so you know they kind of, you know, hide away
from that one.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, you've definitely cemented yourself as an athlete now arriving
in the NFL. But looking back at your college bio,
it reads a lot like an academic resume. Yeah, you
were a student athlete and we touched on the honor roll,
Dean's list two and you're currently taking college class.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, I got to get my degree. That was really
not an option, honestly, So I told my mom that,
you know, I was going to finish regardless of if
I stayed another year in college or you know, me
leaving early so I am taking classes right now, so
I've just been juggling that as a season has been
going on, so football and school still so technically I'm
still a student athlete. So that's kind of funny.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
My jaw is on the floor because I'm trying to
figure out how you can fit in as a rookie
learning a playbook, becoming an NFL player, and doing college courses.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
So what's a day in the life. Ah, Yeah, So
basically what I try to do is I really try
to finish my homework at least by Monday, like night,
you know, so like Monday's beat my late days and
you know, Tuesday's off day. So I try to finish
it all so I don't have to really worry about it.
And then I kind of like with exams and tests,
I kind of like, you know, take it like a
certain amount of time out the day and study for
(03:52):
stuff like that. So basically that just leads me with
just football after I'm done with all that, so you know,
I can spend most of my time on film and
stuff like that and you know, watching plays and stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
What classes are you currently taking?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Taking my journalism classes? And then I'm a minor in business.
So I have some business classes, So I meet with
a professor every Tuesday, just one. That's the only one
I got to meet with. So I meet with him
on zoom, not even for that long, for like about
twenty five minutes, and we basically just go over my
homework and gives me the assignments and gives me a greade.
So doing pretty well.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
And what we'll graduating from Kentucky mean to you?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I mean a lot, Like really, it probably mean more
just because I'm juggling football right now, like NFL football,
which is really demanding in school, and like not that
many people can like say they've done that. So like, honestly,
I'm gonna be like really proud of myself now when
I get my degree.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
And while we're on the subject of Kentucky, you posted
a video on draft day of you getting the call
from the Packers and there was a lot of emotion
running through you. If you reflect back on that moment,
what did that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
I mean, it meant a lot personally. Uh man, It's
crazy just you know, just think about it personally. I
didn't think you know, as you start falling late and
late into the draft, you know, like it feels like
your dreams are stripped super in a way. And you know,
getting the call and you know hearing it, you know,
a team wants you and it's drafting you to be
on your team, and you know seeing you know, your
(05:20):
mom breaking tears and you know, that's the first time
I ever seen my dad cry. So that meant a
lot to me. No, it was just a lot. You know,
just have my my family and my friends around. So,
like getting drafted, like was always my goal as a kid,
and you know, now looking back on it, and then
I'm moving forward to rent now was just making the
team after that, So like, you know, it was a
really emotional part of my life that I probably never forgive.
(05:42):
You know, a lot of things going through my head
in that moment. But it's funny because it's like you
gotta hold on. You can be happy for it for
a day and the next day you got to go
to work.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
What's one thing since you've been here in Green Bay
that you've learned that's made a difference.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
It's some like preparation things that I've learned that you know,
sitting down with coaches and you know, sitting down with
some of my teammates to help me, you know, push
my game. And know even at fall camp, it was
things that I was like, okay, like you do it
like this, and you know, maybe it didn't work for me,
but you know, I come again, I'm like, yo, why
you do this like this? And then that works for me.
So like I try to like grab different things from everybody.
(06:18):
So people asked me like, oh, like when I was like,
you know, coming out of like college and or in
high school, like, oh, who do you watch as a
corner I would say multiple different people, because like I
just didn't want to be solidified as just like one person,
you know what I mean. Eventually, you know, I want
to be someone that be like, oh I want to
be like him, like it's gonna be honored. But honestly,
I would even tell someone like, oh, you want to
(06:38):
be exactly like me. I want you to be your
own person, and that's who I want to be.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Speaking in cornerbacks and great ones, they all have one
common trait confidence, Yeah, and you obviously have that, but
you also have a lot of humility. Where do you
get that humility from my parents?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I feel like, you know, they kept us real humble,
even with our success. My mom's been my biggest critic.
It's funny and it's real funny. My mom has not
told me that I've had a good game before. Like
she's not like, you know, a defensive coordinator or anything,
but like she knows if something doesn't look right, you
know what I mean, like, oh, you missed that tackle.
Like say, if I got an interception, she wouldn't even
mentioned the interception first, Like she wouldn't. She might not
(07:18):
even mention it all. She'd be like, oh, yeah, you
miss you miss that. So like it really keeps you
grounded really because it makes you think of like, Okay,
now I gotta do this. Because also you want to
impressure you know, your parents too, Like you know you
you always want to look good in front of your parents.
So like me and my mom are really close, you know,
so like we we're more alike, you know, we're really
similar in the characteristics and stuff like that. So yeah,
(07:42):
I guess you can see why. What are the similarities?
I guess, Uh, well, we're kind of built the same,
so we're both kind of long. So I kind of
get like my lane from her. If you want a
physical characteristic, uh, just how we think I guess. So
that's why, like when I was younger, and like I
thought I was getting away with something I never could.
I might have away could get away from it from
my dad, but I could I could never get away
(08:02):
from her. So I guess the way we kind of
think and stuff like that, you know, just it's just
kind of funny. So you know, we're like, you know,
I probably I get the athleticism from my dad for sure,
though he played football when he was younger. And you know,
I guess I got the death athleticism from him.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, former receiver turned defensive back. That happened fast. Yeah,
And here you are, you're juggling all these different things
for kids in Ohio that might be following your every move.
Could be football players, could be athletes, could be students. Yeah,
what's your message to them?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
My message is probably honestly, keep you know, whoever you
have around you close to you, you know, don't try
to do it on your own. Just have those people
around you. If they have the best interests in for you,
have them help you with whatever, even is not just
any football related to school somehow, some way, And if
you really want to do what you want to do,
(09:01):
you know, you gotta really like dig deep in with yourself.
You're gonna hit some hard times, you know, but like
the hard times is what's gonna, you know, really separate
you from everybody else. A lot of people don't know that.
So like the hard times and the things like your
struggles and once you you really you know, pull away
and separate and you really you know, grasping embracing it,
(09:22):
it's really gonna separate you from everyone else. And you
know you're gonna be successful. So you don't want anything
handed to you. I didn't have anything handed to me personally,
That's what it should be. If you get things handed
to you, you just won't. It's gonna catch up with you.
So like I never had anything handed to me and
kind of see where I am. So I feel like,
honestly like that's kind of it should be. The blueprint.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
You were drafted, you made the fifty three, you've started
games for the Green Bay Packers. Is there one person
you would like to thank for being here now?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Yeah? As a couple. Actually, I don't thank my dad,
you know, for you know, adding me all my games
and you know, being there for me. I want to
thank my mom. She really supported me. You know, you know,
I'm not the easiest person to deal with, so I
got to thank her. My three older siblings y'all really
shaped me and really showed me how things were done.
(10:15):
I you know, my best friend and my cousin just
you know, having someone that you know had my best
interest for me and we're always there for me, and
you know, you know, we're still cool this day. So
having those people that you're really close with and maybe
those one, two, three people you're really close to, it
is auto matters. That's a great way to close.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, Carrington, thank you so much for taking the time man.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Thanks for having me, Thanks for having me really, you know,
I was an honor really get to talk to you
and talk to people, so.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Pleasure was mine. And thank you for listening to packers POV.
To learn more about what Carrington is doing off the field,
visit his Instagram handle Carrington Valentine. Take care and see
you next time.
Hello, and welcome to Packers POV, a podcast that aims
to shine a light onto human behind the helmet. I'm
your host, Taylor Rodgers, and we are here inside historic
lambeau Field. Today's guest led Kentucky in past breakups. Last
season while becoming a two time SEC Honor Roll student.
Originally from Cincinnati, he helped Archbishop Mueller High School win
(00:27):
a basketball state title. I'm thrilled to introduce Packers cornerback
Carrington Valentine. Welcome man, Thanks for having me, Thanks for
making time for this.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And how was the bye week?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
I know it wasn't yesterday, but did you get a
little time in the middle of the season to sort
of break off from football?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, definitely. I just I went home and visited my
family and saw some of my friends, and, you know,
just kind of decompressed from football. So that was pretty nice.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
So you mentioned your family. Yeah, the Valentines, in your words,
are the most competitive family in the country.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yeah, we all played sports. I'm the youngest, so I
have three older siblings, so it was already a competitive
thing when I was born. So basically I kind of
just was born into it. My sister played college basketball,
my brothers. They played. My brother played soccer, my other
brother played football. So basically, you know, I just had
to really fall in line with everything because that's kind
(01:21):
of what the standard was. My mom holds us to
a high stand there with my dad, So it was,
you know, sink or swim, So I just kept swimming
and you know, competed with all of them. You know,
we all at some point played the same sport, so
you know, we all got after each other and stuff
like that because I played basketball, So we all played
basketball at the point. It might have not been our
(01:41):
primary sport that we played, but we all played it.
So you know, that was one thing we all were,
you know, gotting to see who was better than each other.
So but yeah, our household is pretty competitive, so I
would I want to see if anybody can really you know,
step up to that challenge and trying to beat us
in that one. Gotcha?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
So basketball was common ground. But for people out there
listening as the youngest sibling, yeah, what was your way
of sort of staying in the fight.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Basically, it's been now it's admitted that they would admit
to me when I was younger that I'm probably the
most athletic one in the family. My mom would always
say that I was. Probably she never respected me to
be the most athletic because of you know, I do
goofy things when I was younger, so she said that
she never saw it, but I guess people around her,
you know, told her that I was, you know, really athletic.
So taken away from that, uh, you know, football was
(02:28):
my kind of separation point. And you know, not all
of them were like really good at football. They'd be like,
you know, decent, so I try to bring them to
the football world and are less race or something like that,
so you know they kind of, you know, hide away
from that one.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well, you've definitely cemented yourself as an athlete now arriving
in the NFL. But looking back at your college bio,
it reads a lot like an academic resume. Yeah, you
were a student athlete and we touched on the honor roll,
Dean's list two and you're currently taking college class.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, I got to get my degree. That was really
not an option, honestly, So I told my mom that,
you know, I was going to finish regardless of if
I stayed another year in college or you know, me
leaving early so I am taking classes right now, so
I've just been juggling that as a season has been
going on, so football and school still so technically I'm
still a student athlete. So that's kind of funny.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
My jaw is on the floor because I'm trying to
figure out how you can fit in as a rookie
learning a playbook, becoming an NFL player, and doing college courses.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
So what's a day in the life. Ah, Yeah, So
basically what I try to do is I really try
to finish my homework at least by Monday, like night,
you know, so like Monday's beat my late days and
you know, Tuesday's off day. So I try to finish
it all so I don't have to really worry about it.
And then I kind of like with exams and tests,
I kind of like, you know, take it like a
certain amount of time out the day and study for
(03:52):
stuff like that. So basically that just leads me with
just football after I'm done with all that, so you know,
I can spend most of my time on film and
stuff like that and you know, watching plays and stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
What classes are you currently taking?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Taking my journalism classes? And then I'm a minor in business.
So I have some business classes, So I meet with
a professor every Tuesday, just one. That's the only one
I got to meet with. So I meet with him
on zoom, not even for that long, for like about
twenty five minutes, and we basically just go over my
homework and gives me the assignments and gives me a greade.
So doing pretty well.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
And what we'll graduating from Kentucky mean to you?
Speaker 2 (04:28):
I mean a lot, Like really, it probably mean more
just because I'm juggling football right now, like NFL football,
which is really demanding in school, and like not that
many people can like say they've done that. So like, honestly,
I'm gonna be like really proud of myself now when
I get my degree.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
And while we're on the subject of Kentucky, you posted
a video on draft day of you getting the call
from the Packers and there was a lot of emotion
running through you. If you reflect back on that moment,
what did that mean to you?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
I mean, it meant a lot personally. Uh man, It's
crazy just you know, just think about it personally. I
didn't think you know, as you start falling late and
late into the draft, you know, like it feels like
your dreams are stripped super in a way. And you know,
getting the call and you know hearing it, you know,
a team wants you and it's drafting you to be
on your team, and you know seeing you know, your
(05:20):
mom breaking tears and you know, that's the first time
I ever seen my dad cry. So that meant a
lot to me. No, it was just a lot. You know,
just have my my family and my friends around. So,
like getting drafted, like was always my goal as a kid,
and you know, now looking back on it, and then
I'm moving forward to rent now was just making the
team after that, So like, you know, it was a
really emotional part of my life that I probably never forgive.
(05:42):
You know, a lot of things going through my head
in that moment. But it's funny because it's like you
gotta hold on. You can be happy for it for
a day and the next day you got to go
to work.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
What's one thing since you've been here in Green Bay
that you've learned that's made a difference.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
It's some like preparation things that I've learned that you know,
sitting down with coaches and you know, sitting down with
some of my teammates to help me, you know, push
my game. And know even at fall camp, it was
things that I was like, okay, like you do it
like this, and you know, maybe it didn't work for me,
but you know, I come again, I'm like, yo, why
you do this like this? And then that works for me.
So like I try to like grab different things from everybody.
(06:18):
So people asked me like, oh, like when I was like,
you know, coming out of like college and or in
high school, like, oh, who do you watch as a
corner I would say multiple different people, because like I
just didn't want to be solidified as just like one person,
you know what I mean. Eventually, you know, I want
to be someone that be like, oh I want to
be like him, like it's gonna be honored. But honestly,
I would even tell someone like, oh, you want to
(06:38):
be exactly like me. I want you to be your
own person, and that's who I want to be.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Speaking in cornerbacks and great ones, they all have one
common trait confidence, Yeah, and you obviously have that, but
you also have a lot of humility. Where do you
get that humility from my parents?
Speaker 2 (06:56):
I feel like, you know, they kept us real humble,
even with our success. My mom's been my biggest critic.
It's funny and it's real funny. My mom has not
told me that I've had a good game before. Like
she's not like, you know, a defensive coordinator or anything,
but like she knows if something doesn't look right, you
know what I mean, like, oh, you missed that tackle.
Like say, if I got an interception, she wouldn't even
mentioned the interception first, Like she wouldn't. She might not
(07:18):
even mention it all. She'd be like, oh, yeah, you
miss you miss that. So like it really keeps you
grounded really because it makes you think of like, Okay,
now I gotta do this. Because also you want to
impressure you know, your parents too, Like you know you
you always want to look good in front of your parents.
So like me and my mom are really close, you know,
so like we we're more alike, you know, we're really
similar in the characteristics and stuff like that. So yeah,
(07:42):
I guess you can see why. What are the similarities?
I guess, Uh, well, we're kind of built the same,
so we're both kind of long. So I kind of
get like my lane from her. If you want a
physical characteristic, uh, just how we think I guess. So
that's why, like when I was younger, and like I
thought I was getting away with something I never could.
I might have away could get away from it from
my dad, but I could I could never get away
(08:02):
from her. So I guess the way we kind of
think and stuff like that, you know, just it's just
kind of funny. So you know, we're like, you know,
I probably I get the athleticism from my dad for sure,
though he played football when he was younger. And you know,
I guess I got the death athleticism from him.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Yeah, former receiver turned defensive back. That happened fast. Yeah,
And here you are, you're juggling all these different things
for kids in Ohio that might be following your every move.
Could be football players, could be athletes, could be students. Yeah,
what's your message to them?
Speaker 2 (08:40):
My message is probably honestly, keep you know, whoever you
have around you close to you, you know, don't try
to do it on your own. Just have those people
around you. If they have the best interests in for you,
have them help you with whatever, even is not just
any football related to school somehow, some way, And if
you really want to do what you want to do,
(09:01):
you know, you gotta really like dig deep in with yourself.
You're gonna hit some hard times, you know, but like
the hard times is what's gonna, you know, really separate
you from everybody else. A lot of people don't know that.
So like the hard times and the things like your
struggles and once you you really you know, pull away
and separate and you really you know, grasping embracing it,
(09:22):
it's really gonna separate you from everyone else. And you
know you're gonna be successful. So you don't want anything
handed to you. I didn't have anything handed to me personally,
That's what it should be. If you get things handed
to you, you just won't. It's gonna catch up with you.
So like I never had anything handed to me and
kind of see where I am. So I feel like,
honestly like that's kind of it should be. The blueprint.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
You were drafted, you made the fifty three, you've started
games for the Green Bay Packers. Is there one person
you would like to thank for being here now?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Yeah? As a couple. Actually, I don't thank my dad,
you know, for you know, adding me all my games
and you know, being there for me. I want to
thank my mom. She really supported me. You know, you know,
I'm not the easiest person to deal with, so I
got to thank her. My three older siblings y'all really
shaped me and really showed me how things were done.
(10:15):
I you know, my best friend and my cousin just
you know, having someone that you know had my best
interest for me and we're always there for me, and
you know, you know, we're still cool this day. So
having those people that you're really close with and maybe
those one, two, three people you're really close to, it
is auto matters. That's a great way to close.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, Carrington, thank you so much for taking the time man.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Thanks for having me, Thanks for having me really, you know,
I was an honor really get to talk to you
and talk to people, so.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Pleasure was mine. And thank you for listening to packers POV.
To learn more about what Carrington is doing off the field,
visit his Instagram handle Carrington Valentine. Take care and see
you next time.
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