Cardinals DL Kaleb Proctor’s biggest adjustments don’t center on the Arizona heat

TEMPE — It didn’t take long for Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor to understand he’s no longer in Louisiana.

Sure, there’s the noticeable change in climate, going from thick humidity to a dry heat. There are plenty of palm trees, and the swamp is nowhere to be found.

Those factors, however, weren’t what stood out about Proctor’s new surroundings following four seasons at Southeastern Louisiana at the FCS level.

“I get lost in the building sometimes,” Proctor said Monday. “That’s nothing I’ve ever had to worry about. Just walking back and having cold tubs, you got refrigerators with any type of drink you could think. It’s definitely a blessing. It’s nice, just like Christmas.”

A true welcome to the NFL moment, albeit with a twist.

With cold and hot tubs now at the ready and fridges stocked with drinks on drinks, Proctor is in the middle of nailing down his NFL routine on top of all the other ins and outs that go into the transition from college to the pros.

 

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There’s a lot for Proctor to get into during the offseason onboarding process. For him, it’s about putting his best foot forward in whatever the team throws at him.

It’s the same kind of mindset that saw the Southland Player of the Year climb up draft boards as a fourth-round pick.

The mindset remains unchanged. The time zone is a different story, though.

“The biggest adjustment right now is my parents. We’re two hours behind them,” Proctor said.

While Proctor gets used to the southwest and the amenities that come with an NFL franchise, his game has the potential to translate well within defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ system.

Starting 13 games last year, Proctor paced the team in sacks (nine) and tackles for loss (13). He added two passes defensed for the Lions.

But it was his tape against LSU where he racked up two sacks and a trio of tackles for loss, plus a strong draft cycle, that really stuck out to the Cardinals front office.

“Obviously, that’s the tape that everybody’s going to go to, but he did play against other FBS schools in the past. Then you have him in All-Star games, so you get to watch him for multiple practices against bigger school comps,” assistant general manager Dave Sears said after Day 3 of the draft.

“It’s a case where the kid succeeded in each one of those opportunities and he’s also been able to stack weight. … You’re seeing some growth potential as well as being able to compete when you put him on the same level as some of those bigger school guys.”

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