Central Michigan safety Kavon Frazier has embraced the value of hard work his entire life. But it was not until he got his official invite to the NFL combine late January that Frazier understood just how close he was to the chance at playing at the NFL.
By: Cory Burrell
“Sometimes you get the feeling you’re being overlooked,” Frazier said in an interview with Optimum Scouting. “But this [combine invitation], it gave me reassurance that hard work pays off.”
With an NFL-ready body, a physical approach to the game, and a work ethic few can match, Frazier could be the next late-draft sleeper for any NFL team willing to give him a chance.
Frazier entered college after a fruitful high school career, both athletically as well as academically. Frazier played three sports, football, basketball, and track and field, while graduating high school with a 3.48 GPA. Football was easily Frazier top sport – he started three years, earned all-conference and all-state honors, and even earned a place on the Detroit Free Press’ “Fab 50.”
He enrolled at Central Michigan in 2012. Frazier entered the program during coach Dan Enos’ third year as head coach with Central Michigan. Enos’ first two season gave the Chippewas their first string of consecutive losing seasons since 2003-2004. But in 2012, Central Michigan started to regain their stride again, going 20-18 over a three-year stretch and earning an appearance in two bowl games (a win in 2012 and a loss in 2014).
Frazier carved out a role for himself on defense and special teams during these three years, as Central Michigan improved from a team ranked near the bottom fourth of the nation defensively in 2012 to the 46th-best defensive unit in 2014. He played in every game and accumulated 161 tackles and four interceptions in his first three collegiate seasons.
Frazier said his playstyle is characterized by a physical, hard-hitting approach – one his six-foot, 213 pound frame is more than suited to accommodate.
“I’m known for ‘laying the wood,’ so to speak,” Frazier said. “I think after a few big hits, it really wakes everyone on defense up. It gets everyone in it, the crowd gets into it…everything gets taken to a whole new level.”
Frazier proved himself to be a solid player at the college level, but talk about Frazier’s NFL potential did not start until this past season, when the Chippewas went through a number of coaching changes, the most notable concerning the head coach. Dan Enos resigned after the 2014 season to take the offensive coordinator position with Arkansas. John Bonamego, a special teams coach in the NFL for 16 years, took the reins of the Central Michigan program following Enos’ departure. Frazier said the coaching shakeup changed the mindset of the entire team.
“Don’t get me wrong, the old coaches were great,” Frazier said. “But the new coaches changed the mindset of the team, that started it.”
The results were apparent. Central Michigan defense proved stifling to many opposing teams, allowing only 22 points per game, the 31st-best rank in the nation. Frazier headlined the success of the defensive unit with a breakout season, totaling 108 tackles for the Chippewas. Their 7-6 record glosses over the hard-fought losses Central Michigan had against some of this year’s top teams, including Oklahoma State and Michigan State.
Frazier said he credits much of the season’s success to the intensity the entire team showed at practices day in and day out.
“Everything starts with practice,” Frazier said. “If you want to play hard, that all starts at practice. One big thing I’ve constantly improved on is practicing harder.”
As one of the stars of Central Michigan’s defense, Frazier was a leader for his team, keeping them motivated and focused during a games and practices. But Frazier is also quick to credit his fellow upperclassmen for the leadership they provided, including players such as seniors Blake Serpa and Tim Hamilton.
“Hamilton was great for us, even after he got hurt,” Frazier said about Hamilton, whose season was cut short by injury. “Even from the sidelines, he was still a voice everyone heard.”
Bonamego’s experience in the NFL also impacted the team. Frazier said he learned a great deal from Bonamego, especially on one of Frazier’s favorite aspects of the game, special teams.
“When I was younger, back in high school, I never really understood how important special teams were,” Frazier said. “But in college, I started to realize how important they are, how games can be decided by special teams play. I made it a personal goal to try and be first to the ball, and Coach Bonamego really helped me improve there. He taught us all a lot about punt coverage and special teams in general.”
Frazier said he was happy with how his final collegiate season played out, even if Central Michigan lost its final game, a one-score loss to Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl.
“I wish we could have ended it with a bowl win, but overall it was a very good season,” Frazier said. “I did a great job hustling and I limited my errors, which is exactly what I focused on.”
But with his college playing days behind him, Frazier must now look ahead to NFL. According to Optimum Scouting’s 2016 safety rankings, Frazier projects as a seventh-round talent and as the 18th-best safety available in the draft. Wherever he goes, Frazier will likely see most of his early opportunities to prove himself on special teams, something Frazier would be eager to do.
“It would be an honor playing for any special teams unit in the league,” Frazier said.
Frazier said he tries to take things “one day at a time” regarding his draft expectations, but also hopes he can improve his status among teams with a strong showing at the combine.
“I hope to impress a lot of scouts, turn some heads at the combine,” Frazier said. “I want to make an impression on a lot of coaches.”
Overall, Frazier said where he lands does not concern him too much – as long as he is given a chance, Frazier believes he can succeed anywhere.
“Nobody will outwork me anywhere I go, that’s the truth,” Frazier said. “Whether it’s on the field, in the classroom, anywhere. I have the will to win, and I want to prove that.”
Frazier will get a chance to show NFL teams what he can offer at the NFL Combine February 23-29 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis.
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