New York Jets

Jets S Calvin Pryor ready to prove doubters wrong in 2015

Published Aug. 27, 2015 12:11 p.m. ET

foxsports

It was an all around rough season for the New York Jets in 2014. They finished the year 4-12, which is their worst record since winning the same number of games in 2007.

Quarterback play was unspectacular, as was the performance put in by the team's skill position players.

The defense was stronger than the offense, but it wasn't particularly great -- and safety Calvin Pryor knows it. He struggled mightily in his rookie year last season after entering the league as a promising prospect. However, with another offseason under his belt, Pryor is ready to prove doubters wrong.

"I couldn’t care less what other people think," Pryor told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. "At the end of the day, those guys are not paying my bills or helping me in any type of way. I’m coming out here and putting in the work. I believe in my ability and it’s always going to stay that way ... my confidence level is high."

Last season, Pryor recorded 60 tackles and two passes defensed, while he didn't force a single turnover. That was when he played free safety, though. This season, he's moving back to his natural position of strong safety where he hopes to thrive.

"I can make a lot of impact," Pryor said. "I got a lot of experience under my belt. I went through what I went through. It’s going to make me a better player at the end of the day."

Given his struggles a year ago, Pryor sees himself as underrated. He didn't get much attention -- positive attention, at least -- but he didn't mind it. In fact, he plans to grow from it.

"I’m glad I flew under the radar, because I’ve always been under the radar," Pryor said. "My name has never been out there. When I was at Louisville, it was about Teddy (Bridgewater) and the offense. You never heard that much about me. I'd like to keep it that way and just jump out on tape when they see the film."

Pryor figures to be a key contributor on a defense that's expected to be elite -- especially on the backend. The Jets' secondary is one of the best in the league, and if Pryor can replicate his play from college, he will play a huge role in the team's success.

(h/t New York Daily News)