262. Fernando Carmona Jr: Late Start, Big Impact
The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly
Sport & Story
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 16 September 2024
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of The Hog Pod, we sit down with Razorback offensive lineman Fernando Carmona Jr., whose unconventional football journey is nothing short of inspiring. Fernando shares how he started his football career late in high school, playing only seven games before injury struck. With no senior season due to COVID, Fernando took matters into his own hands, creating and sharing recruiting highlights on social media in a bid to get noticed by college scouts.
He talks about his initial years at San Jose State, starting as a tight end, and how his path led him to Arkansas, where he’s now thriving under the guidance of offensive line legend Coach Sam Pittman. From his struggles to make a name for himself to his experience as a Razorback, this episode offers a unique glimpse into the grit and determination it takes to succeed at the highest levels of college football.
Don’t miss this inspiring story of how Fernando’s perseverance and passion for the game transformed him into a key player on the Razorback squad.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I want to take that next step to my career. I want a little bit more eyes on me when I'm playing and just kind of give me a better stage to play on and also just to kind of learn from another offensive line coach that was kind of huge in my mind |
| 0:13.6 | because I'm like all right well I've only been playing offense line for three years now |
| 0:17.3 | I've had one coach tell me to do it one certain way I need to kind of expand my game |
| 0:22.3 | because I can't change my game once I get to the |
| 0:25.1 | NFL because I feel like by then it would be too late. So on behold man Arkansas reaches |
| 0:30.1 | out to me and I come to Fayetteville and I fall in love and I mean the rest is history I |
| 0:36.6 | come here and Ily and this episode is made possible by our |
| 0:56.4 | friend in Bold Vision and South by Northwest Hospitality. comedy. |
| 1:15.6 | Fernando Carmona Jr. or Just Junior, as his friends call him, is already making a name for himself in the SEC, being named SEC O'Lignment of the week after his debut against UAPB. |
| 1:20.9 | Despite the quick accolades, the San Jose State Transfer had a delayed start at the game of football. |
| 1:30.0 | Started playing football my junior year of high school. |
| 1:33.0 | How many total football games did you play before you played a college game? |
| 1:37.0 | I played seven. That was my high school career. |
| 1:40.0 | Fernando's football journey began late, but his passion and drive were undeniable. |
| 1:46.0 | I played football and I was like, you know, this is my calling. |
| 1:50.0 | With little experience, along with a global pandemic, |
| 1:53.4 | Carmona had to market himself just to get recruited, |
| 1:57.2 | willing his dreams into reality. |
| 2:00.6 | They had like canceled the first season. |
| 2:02.2 | I'm like, all right, I'm going to |
| 2:03.0 | really try and really hard like this is because at the time I still had no offers and |
| 2:06.5 | so I was posting like pictures and videos on Twitter hoping like college coaches |
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