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Here are some quotes from defensive tackle Markus Kuhn, the New York Giants' seventh-round draft choice from N.C. State. Kuhn spoke to reporters in the locker room during Giants' rookie mini-camp on Friday.
Q: Have you ever seen a NFL game?
A: No, [I’ve] never seen an NFL game, but on the TV. When I played college the first college game I played was the first college game I actually really saw. Never been to one before and I’ve never been to a NFL game and hopefully the first NFL game I see live is the first one I’ll play in as well.
Q: How did you end up at N.C. State?
A: It was pretty much an effort on my own. My dad and I flew over to the East coast in 2006 and we just showed up at a bunch of different schools, walked in with a highlight DVD and pretty much said, ‘Hey, I’m Markus and I can play American football, too.’ A lot of the coaches, they liked what I did and they saw my highlight DVD and then they offered me a scholarship.
Q: You’re older than most of the rookies, but you don’t have the wear and tear. Is that an advantage?
A: I would say I’m older, but my body might be football-wise younger. You can take it either way, but I think it might be an advantage.
Q: When did you start playing football?
A: In Germany when I was 15 and then when I came to the U.S. when I was 21.
Q: How was the competition on the German team you played for?
A: I always said the biggest thing and difference was when I was playing there sometimes we had like 15-20 guys in practice, so we couldn’t even have a whole defense or a whole offense. I played quarterback and linebacker. I never played defensive line. If I played quarterback, you probably can tell what the level of competition was over there. It was just hard because we have other sports that are more dominant and then when you come to the states and each practice at a big university you have 110 guys, 120 guys at practice. It definitely shocks you at the beginning.