Fever Magazine’s reporter, Cornelus Postell, recently sat down with Kevin Pierre-Louis for an exclusive interview.
Picture an athlete who is open enough to share himself with other individuals in order to connect with one another…Welcome enough to hear someone’s story and accept that person for who they are…Who is determined enough to possess a deep-rooted, self-driven motor to plan something and attack it to accomplish goals.
This athlete would be no other than Kevin Pierre-Louis. Always a person who has never wanted to follow the crowd, his humbleness has helped him succeed in areas many fail in. In fact, he’s never liked starting something he couldn’t finish.
On the challenges faced while growing up…
A young black male growing up in poverty and grew up with his father, who was a very good dad. He’s always been open to whatever to whatever challenges he face. Growing up with his father, I got the chance to go to a private high school for high school and then graduated and went to Boston College.
On what happened during the 2009/2010 NFL Draft Night…
For me, it wasn’t a big celebration. It was more like this is step #1. I’ve always been a low-key guy. When I was drafted, I was excited but not too excited. The reality is that was this is only step #1 because I still got to make the team. There’s still a lot for you to accomplish going forward. I wasn’t going to put myself in a “honeymoon phase.”
I was on the first flight the next morning to Seattle. I spent that time with family and thanking everyone that supported me. I tried to send as many text messages as I possibly could. After hearing the news, I was cool, calm and collected.
I’ve been playing this game since I was 7 years old. I understand the business a little better right now. To make to where I’m now, I can’t necessarily say it was a dream of mine. I’m just a guy who always worked hard. I’ve been blessed with a great opportunity at this point of my life. I’m not taking this for granted. I appreciate everyday that I get to play this game.
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 04: Fullback Derrick Coleman #40 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field on September 4, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
On his love for technology…
I’ve always been big on technology. For instance, I’m very loyal to Apple products and always get the new one whenever they come out. I have 2 iPads, automated my house using the August app. I can give people access to the house, adjust the thermostat and can even set a certain temperature. Even my weight scale has an app to track my weight and set goals.
I just recently ordered a Tesla. I’m in love with the technology aspect and the things you can do with the autopilot. You can connect your phone, your calendar and everything else you need. I also love to go green just to help out the environment. I try to make sure I’m not emitting too much CO2 into the atmosphere.
At the University of Washington, I met one of the graduate teachers and was a guest judge for her class. Some of the things I would judge upon were projects that were designed to become of some service where people can take advantage of the benefits. I was invited to a bunch of sit-down sessions to speak about technology.
I’m even constantly speaking with my team’s tech staff because there are a lot of things we do with technology. The team has iPads that track how much we slept, your stress level, how sore is your body, etc. This is the technology side of football that the team is using and taking advantage of. I feel that we are one of the few teams that are trying to implement this data into our everyday practice schedule.
On his dreams of starting a technology firm…
Honestly, I’m not sure. I have a love and appreciation for technology. But I feel as though I want to be part of the backbone of a company. I would definitely need to learn a lot more about the ins and outs. I feel that I have the personality to run a company. I would definitely be one of those guys who implement technology into the business.
One of the things I would love to do somewhere down the road is to open an upscale wine bar. There’s not too much involved using technology in that. But you can figure out different ways to having technology to make the business run more efficiently and better.
On projects he’s presently working on to help build the community…
I’m always there to help out when there’s an opportunity to do so. I worked with different animal release organizations. I’ve recently worked with Seattle Humane Society. I was just volunteering my time to bring out awareness for pets that need to be rescued. I’m also about to be involved with the Haiti relief project within the next month. My family is from Haiti and is doing physically fine.
Kevin Pierre-Louis uses his Twitter and Instagram accounts to influence and help spread awareness about helping animals to others. He’s currently in school finishing up his MBA through the NFL school program.
