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Q&A: Lakeville's Jordan Cardenas Talks Gophers, Recruiting & Playing With His Brother
Q&A: Lakeville's Jordan Cardenas Talks Gophers, Recruiting and Playing With His Brother
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/377023?referrer_id=331171
Jordan Cardenas, a 6-foot junior, 190-pound defensive back from Lakeville (MN) North, recently attended the Golden Gopher Junior Day. Cardenas, along with twin brother Jesse, helped lead a Panther defense that had five shutouts and finished 8-3, losing to Eden Prairie in the Class 6A semifinals.
Gopher Hole recently caught up Cardenas to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What Junior Days have you had a chance to attend so far?
Jordan Cardenas: I got to the Gophers one and I got to the South Dakota State one.
Gopher Hole: Do you have plans to go to any others in the next month or so?
Jordan Cardenas: Yes. NDSU and I am going to UNI April 19th.
Gopher Hole: What was the University of Minnesota Junior Day like?
Jordan Cardenas: I actually liked it. Obviously, the facilities are really nice and I thought that the coaches were really cool and outgoing. The facilities are unbelievable and it is my dream to play for the Gophers with my brother. I thought overall that it was a cool experience.
Gopher Hole: What other schools are you hearing from right now?
Jordan Cardenas: UNI, SDSU, NDSU, Eastern Michigan, Penn, UND, Drake, Harvard, Northern Illinois and Yale.
Gopher Hole: Are you hearing from most of the same schools as your brother or are there some that you hear from that he doesn't or visa versa?
Jordan Cardenas: It is basically the same schools. Ideally, we would like to play together at the same college.
Gopher Hole: Is that something that you have talked about a lot?
Jordan Cardenas: Yes.
Gopher Hole: What is it like playing with your brother on the same team?
Jordan Cardenas: Obviously, it would be really cool because we have been playing together since the third grade and we always have a good chemistry together because we both play defense, so it is cool to play on the same side of the field and it is just fun to play with your brother because we have played together for so long and you get to do what you love with him.
Gopher Hole: Do you always get along on the field or are there some brotherly rivalries?
Jordan Cardenas: We always have each other's back out there. We never get mad at each other because it is kind of weird to be mad at your brother playing football. We always get along really well and we always help each other out and tell each other what to do. We always watch film together with each other and with the team.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that is just a "twin" thing?
Jordan Cardenas: Yes. Being twins is a closer relationship than most brothers because you are actually with each other all the time and so you develop a bond and you can see the same things on and off the field. It is fun.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many college football camps last summer?
Jordan Cardenas: I went to NDSU and I got MVP honors for DBs in my class. That was the only camp that I went to.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about what camps you are going to go to this summer?
Jordan Cardenas: I am for sure going to NDSU. I am for sure going to the Gopher one and I believe that I am for sure going to SDSU and for other camps it depends on how interested the schools are with me. I don't know what other camps I am going to yet. It depends on what the other schools think.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel that when you go to events like that, that you are able to pick up things that you can take back home and make yourself a little bit better as a player?
Jordan Cardenas: Most definitely, because every camp that you go to, you learn something new that you apply to a real life game and it is just really helpful to go to camps and you get things to work on.
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on to try to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Jordan Cardenas: The most important for me, is speed. Just working on my 40 time and working on my breaks as a DB. Working on my back pedal speed and my flexibility. Flexibility is a big thing for a DB. I stretch out every morning and every night before I go to bed. I have been working on getting faster and being more flexible. I hit the weight room every day with my brother.
Gopher Hole: What is your 40 time right now?
Jordan Cardenas: Around a 4.69. That is the fastest that I have recorded.
Gopher Hole: You are a defensive back, while your brother is a linebacker. Do you like that you are not playing the same position or would you like to play the same position?
Jordan Cardenas: I actually like playing different positions better, because recruiting-wise, I am not competing with him. I am competing with him, but not for the same position. It is easier going to camps, knowing I am not competing against my brother. We are not going to the same spot. It is less stress. It is more fun not playing the same position.
Gopher Hole: Have you always played different positions or have there been times when you played the same spot?
Jordan Cardenas: I would say in middle school, I was a running back and he was a linebacker- receiver type. When we entered high school, he got a little taller and bigger and he moved to linebacker. I moved from running back to safety, so we never really played the same position.
Gopher Hole: Do people ever say anything to about being two inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter even though you are twins?
Jordan Cardenas: He is the bigger one, but I am faster than he is, so it plays out nice.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you had a great season last year and made to the Class 6A semifinals. Unfortunately, you ran into Eden Prairie, who went on to win the state title. What are the expectations for you guys this upcoming year?
Jordan Cardenas: I believe that the expectations for us is to get back to the state tournament. We have a really good defense coming back and we have really good offense. I think that we can do it because we fit well as a team. We have a lot of potential together. If we play up to our full potential, we can do really well and go very far this year.
Gopher Hole: I know that you, Tristyn and your brother are all going to be captains this year. I assume that they are asking you to be more of a leader this year. Is that something that you are looking forward to?
Jordan Cardenas: I actually really enjoy people looking up to me being a leader because it is a big honor for kids in your grade to vote you as a captain and knowing that they look up to you. It is like an extra thing that you have in your life to focus on and know that kids look up to you. It is a cool experience.
Gopher Hole: Do you play any other sports at Lakeville North?
Jordan Cardenas: I play baseball. Left field.
Gopher Hole: How many college games did you make this past year?
Jordan Cardenas: I went to three or four Gophers games and I went to a Northern Illinois game.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to have a chance to play at a Division I level?
Jordan Cardenas: That would be a dream come true to play D1. I have been working to play D1 football since I was little. That has been a dream of mine to play D1 football and get a good education would just be a dream come true.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe to have a chance to play for the home state school?
Jordan Cardenas: That would mean everything because it is nice because it is close to home. Friends would have a chance to watch you play and they have sweet facilities and great coaches. They have an awesome football program, so it would mean everything to play there.
Q&A: Lakeville's Jordan Cardenas Talks Gophers, Recruiting and Playing With His Brother
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/377023?referrer_id=331171
Jordan Cardenas, a 6-foot junior, 190-pound defensive back from Lakeville (MN) North, recently attended the Golden Gopher Junior Day. Cardenas, along with twin brother Jesse, helped lead a Panther defense that had five shutouts and finished 8-3, losing to Eden Prairie in the Class 6A semifinals.
Gopher Hole recently caught up Cardenas to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What Junior Days have you had a chance to attend so far?
Jordan Cardenas: I got to the Gophers one and I got to the South Dakota State one.
Gopher Hole: Do you have plans to go to any others in the next month or so?
Jordan Cardenas: Yes. NDSU and I am going to UNI April 19th.
Gopher Hole: What was the University of Minnesota Junior Day like?
Jordan Cardenas: I actually liked it. Obviously, the facilities are really nice and I thought that the coaches were really cool and outgoing. The facilities are unbelievable and it is my dream to play for the Gophers with my brother. I thought overall that it was a cool experience.
Gopher Hole: What other schools are you hearing from right now?
Jordan Cardenas: UNI, SDSU, NDSU, Eastern Michigan, Penn, UND, Drake, Harvard, Northern Illinois and Yale.
Gopher Hole: Are you hearing from most of the same schools as your brother or are there some that you hear from that he doesn't or visa versa?
Jordan Cardenas: It is basically the same schools. Ideally, we would like to play together at the same college.
Gopher Hole: Is that something that you have talked about a lot?
Jordan Cardenas: Yes.
Gopher Hole: What is it like playing with your brother on the same team?
Jordan Cardenas: Obviously, it would be really cool because we have been playing together since the third grade and we always have a good chemistry together because we both play defense, so it is cool to play on the same side of the field and it is just fun to play with your brother because we have played together for so long and you get to do what you love with him.
Gopher Hole: Do you always get along on the field or are there some brotherly rivalries?
Jordan Cardenas: We always have each other's back out there. We never get mad at each other because it is kind of weird to be mad at your brother playing football. We always get along really well and we always help each other out and tell each other what to do. We always watch film together with each other and with the team.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that is just a "twin" thing?
Jordan Cardenas: Yes. Being twins is a closer relationship than most brothers because you are actually with each other all the time and so you develop a bond and you can see the same things on and off the field. It is fun.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many college football camps last summer?
Jordan Cardenas: I went to NDSU and I got MVP honors for DBs in my class. That was the only camp that I went to.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about what camps you are going to go to this summer?
Jordan Cardenas: I am for sure going to NDSU. I am for sure going to the Gopher one and I believe that I am for sure going to SDSU and for other camps it depends on how interested the schools are with me. I don't know what other camps I am going to yet. It depends on what the other schools think.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel that when you go to events like that, that you are able to pick up things that you can take back home and make yourself a little bit better as a player?
Jordan Cardenas: Most definitely, because every camp that you go to, you learn something new that you apply to a real life game and it is just really helpful to go to camps and you get things to work on.
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on to try to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Jordan Cardenas: The most important for me, is speed. Just working on my 40 time and working on my breaks as a DB. Working on my back pedal speed and my flexibility. Flexibility is a big thing for a DB. I stretch out every morning and every night before I go to bed. I have been working on getting faster and being more flexible. I hit the weight room every day with my brother.
Gopher Hole: What is your 40 time right now?
Jordan Cardenas: Around a 4.69. That is the fastest that I have recorded.
Gopher Hole: You are a defensive back, while your brother is a linebacker. Do you like that you are not playing the same position or would you like to play the same position?
Jordan Cardenas: I actually like playing different positions better, because recruiting-wise, I am not competing with him. I am competing with him, but not for the same position. It is easier going to camps, knowing I am not competing against my brother. We are not going to the same spot. It is less stress. It is more fun not playing the same position.
Gopher Hole: Have you always played different positions or have there been times when you played the same spot?
Jordan Cardenas: I would say in middle school, I was a running back and he was a linebacker- receiver type. When we entered high school, he got a little taller and bigger and he moved to linebacker. I moved from running back to safety, so we never really played the same position.
Gopher Hole: Do people ever say anything to about being two inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter even though you are twins?
Jordan Cardenas: He is the bigger one, but I am faster than he is, so it plays out nice.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you had a great season last year and made to the Class 6A semifinals. Unfortunately, you ran into Eden Prairie, who went on to win the state title. What are the expectations for you guys this upcoming year?
Jordan Cardenas: I believe that the expectations for us is to get back to the state tournament. We have a really good defense coming back and we have really good offense. I think that we can do it because we fit well as a team. We have a lot of potential together. If we play up to our full potential, we can do really well and go very far this year.
Gopher Hole: I know that you, Tristyn and your brother are all going to be captains this year. I assume that they are asking you to be more of a leader this year. Is that something that you are looking forward to?
Jordan Cardenas: I actually really enjoy people looking up to me being a leader because it is a big honor for kids in your grade to vote you as a captain and knowing that they look up to you. It is like an extra thing that you have in your life to focus on and know that kids look up to you. It is a cool experience.
Gopher Hole: Do you play any other sports at Lakeville North?
Jordan Cardenas: I play baseball. Left field.
Gopher Hole: How many college games did you make this past year?
Jordan Cardenas: I went to three or four Gophers games and I went to a Northern Illinois game.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to have a chance to play at a Division I level?
Jordan Cardenas: That would be a dream come true to play D1. I have been working to play D1 football since I was little. That has been a dream of mine to play D1 football and get a good education would just be a dream come true.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe to have a chance to play for the home state school?
Jordan Cardenas: That would mean everything because it is nice because it is close to home. Friends would have a chance to watch you play and they have sweet facilities and great coaches. They have an awesome football program, so it would mean everything to play there.