Football player Isiah Corbett, a senior linebacker, is Athlete of the Week. A native of Belle Glade, Fla., he spent his first year playing college ball at Coahoma Community College. Corbett played a vital role in the success of the Lions’ defense last season and has had a great start to this season by being named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week twice. 

The Lion’s Roar: When did you begin playing football?

Isiah Corbett: When I was about six.

LR: Is there anything about college football you didn’t expect?

IC: I didn’t expect it to be this hard. I come out every day, do the same thing. Got to live with it.

LR: What is the dynamic and relationships among the players?

IC: You got people from all over, different states and everything, but we’re all family. We’re all brothers, so it makes us one.

LR: How have your talents grown since joining the Southeastern football team?

IC: They really have grown a lot. I came in smaller. I got kind of bigger, faster and stronger. It’s a great program. It’s helped a lot.

LR: What advice would you give to someone who aspires to play football?

IC: If you don’t like it, it’s not something you should get into. If you do love it, then come out every day. I encourage you to work harder. 

LR: Do you have any pre-game rituals?

IC: You always have a playlist you’ll listen to. On the field, we get everyone hyped with a little chant. We circle up, middle of the in-zone and say our little chant there.

LR: What are the meanings of your tattoos?

IC: On my right arm, I got an angel and some birds. I’m from Belle Glade, Fla. Our favorite crop is sugar cane, and we chase rabbits, so I got a rabbit right here. The sugar cane is kind of burning. When you burn the sugar cane all the rabbits run out and we chase the rabbits. It reminds me of home.

LR: What is your favorite thing to do outside of football and school?

IC: Probably eating. I like pizza, Chinese food, spaghetti. 

LR: What are your future hopes and plans for after graduation?

IC: If I don’t make it to the next level, I want to find a decent job. I want to go back to school and become a physical therapist.

LR: What has been your biggest struggle to overcome?

IC: Probably just learning schemes and the defense, coming in and trying to learn everything. You have to learn what everyone does.

LR: What has impacted you the most from playing at Southeastern and what will you carry with you as you graduate?

IC: Most definitely learning life lessons. Our coach preaches about adversity, what’s going to happen when adversity hits. So just mostly life lessons and a brotherhood really.

Isiah Corbett