Catching Up With #Gators in the NFL: Justin Trattou
Thursday, April 9, 2015 | Football
Leading up to start of the 2015 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 30, GatorZone.com is going to check in with some of our current Gators in the NFL to see how they have transitioned to the next level.
This week, we caught up with Justin Trattou (@Justin_Trattou), who enters his fifth season in the NFL and his third season with the Minnesota Vikings. Trattou played in 52 games with 42 career starts on the defensive line in his time at Florida, collecting 121 tackles, 26 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks.
Trattou signed as an undrafted free agent in 2011 with the New York Giants and appeared in six games as a rookie. After an ankle injury sidelined him in 2012, he was placed on injured reserve and then signed with the Vikings prior to the 2013 season.
1. Now that you've been in the NFL for a few years, what's the biggest difference from playing at the collegiate level?
The biggest difference is the business aspect of the game. It's a business and sometimes the decisions that are made have more to do with money than actually playing the game.
2. While at Florida, what helped prepare you the most for the NFL?
In my time at Florida our whole starting lineup on offense and defense was made up of NFL caliber players. Practicing every day against guys like the Pouncey brothers or Marcus Gilbert made the transition very easy when I got to the NFL.
3. What is it like to interact with other Gators when you play against them?
It's a great experience. We all went through a lot together in college and formed lifelong bonds. It's always great seeing former Gator teammates succeeding and getting to compete against them at the highest level.
4. What are you working on this offseason to prepare for next year?
Going into my fifth year in the NFL I'm really emphasizing my technique. Whether its special teams or pass rushing, at this level everyone is a great athlete so refining technique is a big deal.
5. What's been your favorite memory so far in your NFL career?
There's been a lot of ups and downs throughout my NFL career. After going undrafted my rookie year I wasn't very happy. Then we also had the lockout to deal with so my first day on the Giants was training camp. I overcame a lot of adversity and made the team anyway and we won the Super Bowl that year. So adding a Super Bowl ring next to my BCS National Championship ring from Florida and my high school state championship ring from Don Bosco was a great experience.
