Senior defensive end Raymond Cutts is returning for his second season as a Trojan and the last of his collegiate career. Cutts is one of the 63 remaining players from last year’s roster, and the coaching staff relies on him to be a leader both on and off the field.
“I am a leader on this team in many different ways, and I try to be the best that I can be,” Cutts said. “There are a lot of young guys on the D-line that look up to me, so I am trying to carry myself a certain way on and off the field.
“Coach Parker always tells me that the other players feed off my energy. If I go out there quiet, then practice is going to be quiet. So, I go out there, talk a little trash, and get everyone’s blood boiling so we can have a good practice.”
The Orlando, Florida, native transferred to Troy before the 2023 season after two standout years at Garden City Community College. In 2022, Cutts became a NJCAA First Team All-American after recording 58 tackles, 11 sacks and 20 tackles-for-loss.
Cutts began his collegiate career as a four-star recruit out of Jones High School, and he decided to stay home and play for UCF. However, his career as a Knight was short lived. The former No. 50 defensive end in the nation had to enter the transfer portal after something happened off the field, and Cutts had to move down to the JUCO level.
“It was hard making the transition from Division I to JUCO,” Cutts said. “I made a mistake that made me have to go down to that level, and so I had to accept the fact that I had to do what I needed to so I can get back to the top.
“JUCO made me strong and helped mold me into the player I am today.”
Cutts’ move back to division I level wasn’t a perfect transition. As a junior, Cutts had to sit behind Javon Solomon, one of the most accomplished players in Troy history.
“Last season, I was going through the motions. In my head, I was thinking, ‘I got Von in front of me, and this is his show,’ and I wish I never did that,” Cutts said. “It affected the way I played, but I changed my mentality, and now I play like every play might be my last.”
One major reason for the change in Cutts’ mindset is that he is playing this season for his 11-month-old son, and he says that has helped him grow a lot.
“I had a lot of growing up to do,” Cutts said. “It got to the point where I had to sit down, and I noticed that it was really me vs. me.
“I realized that I was only stopping myself from doing what I wanted to do and getting to where I wanted to go. I have a son, and my family is depending on me.”
Cutts emphasized the importance of maturing and stepping up into more responsibility.
“I can’t keep making the same mistakes that I was making when I was 18 or 19 years old,” said Cutts. “I’m 24 now, and I have to put my big boy pants on, and everything that I do now is with a purpose.
“This is my last shot.”
When talking about his son, Cutts reflected on how he grew up and how that has inspired him to be better as a father.
“My father was around when I was growing up, but he was in jail a lot,” Cutts said. “So, I know how it feels to not have your father around, and it really gives me the fire that I need to go out every day, practice how I need to and play the way I need to.
“If I can do what I have to do, I know that my son will be set for my life and my mom will too.”
Cutts’ family has played a vital role in his entire career. His uncle, Alphonso “Boosie” Johnson, was his first football coach and the reason he fell in love with the sport. Uncle Boosie was Cutts’ coach until Cutts started peewee football, and they won several youth football championships together. Cutts also looked up to his two older cousins while they were playing football.
Another key piece to Cutts’ development was his high school coach, Elijah Williams.
“He played a big part in my life and was a father figure that everyone on that team needed,” Cutts said. “He was always there, making sure that I was going to class, doing my schoolwork, and he always made sure I was okay, even after I graduated.”
After a long and bumpy road, Cutts is entering his final season of collegiate football. As he looked ahead at the upcoming season, he mentioned that legacy was important to him.
“My biggest thing has always been that I don’t want to end up as a ‘used to be’ or a ‘he could have been’,” Cutts said. “I used everything that I went through to mold me into someone stronger.
“My grandfather used to tell me, ‘Just because you get knocked down doesn’t mean you have to stay down. You can get up and keep punching.’ I want everyone to know that I kept fighting through everything.”
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