GREENSBORO, N.C. -- When it comes right down to it, Florida State senior CB Lamarcus Joyner is short. He's 5-feet-8.
Fans know it. Opponents know it. The media knows it. Scouts know it. And, hey, Joyner knows it, too. But he doesn't let it bother him.
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"It's something I've had to deal with my whole life," Joyner said with a grin Sunday at the ACC 2013 Football Kickoff media event.
Joyner arrived at FSU as one of the nation's top 20 prep prospects and has played in every game since setting foot on campus. He was a backup cornerback as a true freshman in 2010 and was the Seminoles' starting strong safety in each of the past two seasons, flashing both his speed and his physical nature. He's back at corner this fall, and he admits that one reason he was happy to return to corner is that it improves his NFL prospects.
"It gives me a better shot at going to the next level," he said. "Hey, I would've been an undersized safety."
He knows he's still undersized at corner, too, but it won't be quite as big a deal. While he lacks height, Joyner doesn't lack bulk (he weighs 187 pounds), speed (4.5 in the 40) or instincts (128 career tackles, six interceptions, 11 pass breakups).
Joyner showed off some of his talents Sunday. In front of a handful of media members, he and FSU junior WR Rashad Greene had an impromptu slow-motion one-on-one skills showdown. Joyner showed some techniques he will use to try to jam receivers, while Greene demonstrated how to get rid of pesky defenders such as Joyner.
Joyner had a smile almost throughout the "battle." He played cornerback at powerhouse Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas -- he took time to thank his high school coaches Sunday, saying what he learned as a prep gave him "an edge" when he arrived at FSU -- and says he now gets to "re-establish" himself as a cornerback. He expects everything to go just fine."
"I'm a confident guy," he said. "I'm not arrogant, not cocky. Just confident."
He's also short. But he doesn't need to be reminded of that.
