We would like to welcome to Gridiron, our newest diamond in the rough, Kortlyn Kyle, a 2027 Linebacker out of Vinton High School in Vinton, Louisiana. Kyle showed out at the Gridiron Football Lake Charles Elite Camp, where he performed well in the drills and 7 on 7, ran a 5.18 in the 40, and a 4.49 shuttle. He is a force in the middle, with tremendous instincts, quick feet, and he does not miss tackles. He has also attended multiple college camps, including LCU and Fort Valley, and is open to playing college football anywhere.
Here is my interview with Kortlyn Kyle:
What has your football journey been like for you? At what age did you start playing football, and what inspired you to play football?
I started playing at around six years old, and it’s really the grind that inspires me, you know, because my coach once told me, you can’t get there for anything besides playing football. It’s really just being out there, respecting the grind, and knowing that you have to get better every day.
Who have been some of the biggest influences in your journey, like family members, other teammates?
Definitely my dad and my didi. I was kind of big on baseball, and she looked at me every day, and she said, you’re gonna be a football player. I think about it now, and she definitely inspires me. She’s been outstanding to me. Even when I was little, she would be out there every day, and she felt like an athlete cheering for me. She was a trainer, like a personal trainer. She would be out there every day running a slant with me and flipping the tires and stuff. Since at an early age, she’s been out there for a lot of my games, even flag football and other leagues.
Talking about flag football, was that one of your core memories of playing when you first started playing at like six years old? What other first memories do you have?
That is a core memory, definitely, because it was when I was about twelveish. We had a travel team that had never really been great at football. We kind of changed that program around by our group of guys, even from an early age, when we went and won our league; we call it in-state, but it was like our area. That was a really big thing.
Was linebacker something you always wanted to play or did you like want to play another position at first?
I always wanted to play linebacker, but since I was little, I was always on the rear side, you know, so all my coaches put me on the O and D line. Until I got to eighth grade, that’s when I had cut down some weight. I really went serious on the linebacker role. That got my speed up, and I recognized that this is what I wanted to do, and that’s how I want to be the field general.
What part are parts of your game do you feel like you’ve improved on the most over the years, and what are the things you want to improve on going forward?
I definitely think my gap recognition is my strong suit, and my aggressiveness in my play carries me. I would like to work on pass coverage because I’ll get sucked into the run a little bit. Not very often, but sometimes I kind of catch myself. If I get my 40 down to like 4.8 and really just my takeoff, not so much my top speed. Working on my mechanics on my 40, getting that lower, will get more college coaches’ attention.
What was the Lake Charles camp experience like?
It was a good experience. I learned a lot from that camp, and the coaches were great guys. I came off a long trip that day, and I kind of really didn’t feel like I performed to my full potential, so definitely going forward, I will be a lot more prepared.
How would you describe yourself as a leader to your teammates, especially since leadership is going to be so important going into your senior year?
As a leader, I like to be that positive influence, not just on the football field but as a family member to those guys. When I was there, I never really had that positive outlook since they were kind of always pushing me away, like, know you’re a freshman, and you’re underclassmen, and I just want to be that guy that they can look up to and then a positive influence. If they ever need anything on or off the field, I’m a guy; they can give me a call or just let me know, hey, I need this, and I’ll be there to do it.
You obviously want to play college football, right?
Yes sir.
Have you looked into any schools yet? Is there a specific school you want to play for yet, or you really just wanna play for anyone?
My options are open right now, but I’ve been in contact with a few schools: Millsaps, LCU, and Fort Valley. I actually just went to the camp at LCU, and then Grambling came to an event and talked to my coaches.
Describe your experiences in what gridiron football has done for you.
Gridiron Football really did inspire me. It was one of the first real camps I went to, and it kind of opened my eyes, showed me my flaws, how I can get better, and what I need to work on. The coaches were super nice and encouraging, and I really enjoyed it. And the experience was generally great.
Wherever you end up playing college football, why do you believe you will be an effective playmaker at that place?
No matter where I go and no matter where it’s at or whatever, I’m gonna work. I’m gonna put in the work, and I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make it a positive environment and to win a lot more, and to make everybody else around me better.
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