Stephane Nembot, left, and Alex Kelley. (Daily Camera)
BOULDER — One of my favorite Colorado football players to interview is junior offensive tackle Stephane Nembot.
Although his 6-foot-7, 295-pound frame can block out the sun, he can brighten most any day with a smile and a chuckle.
Following Wednesday morning’s practice, I talked to Nembot about facing Southern California on Saturday (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network). And I wanted specifically to know how it is to go USC junior defensive end Leonard Williams.
Williams, 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, is a preseason All-America who must have NFL scouts salivating.
Nembot’s reaction when I mentioned Williams?
First a grin.
Then a chuckle.
And finally a full-fledged laugh.
Nembot means no disrespect. That’s the way he is.
“It’s always a good competition when you go against the best,” Nembot said. “To be among the best you have to go against the best. He’s a good player.”
I asked Nembot what makes Williams such a good player, and again, meaning no disrespect, his answer sidestepped the question.
“Like our offensive line coach, Coach (Gary) Bernardi, says, ‘Everybody we face in the Pac-12 has something special or they wouldn’t be starting in the Pac-12.
“Everybody is different. They all approach you in a different way. They all have their own twists, they’re only package that they come with. He’s a good player, so it’s going to be a good game.”
Nembot, a native of the African country of Cameroon, played high school ball in Los Angeles (Montclair Prep) and said he knows a lot of players on the USC roster.
But until going head-to-head against Williams for several plays last year, he did not know Williams because Williams is from Daytona Beach, Fla.
If Nembot can perform well Saturday in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, especially when matched up against Williams, it could be a signature moment in Nembot’s development.
No matter what happens, I’m guessing Nembot will get the last laugh. That’s his style.
