Matt Judon doesn’t watch the NFL.

Soon, he might play in it.

Judon, one of the best-known names on the Grand Valley State football roster, is entering his sixth and final year as a member of the Laker football team, but the Sandman doesn’t bring dreams of the NFL Draft . Judon has more pressing goals in 2015.

A 6-foot-4, 255 pound defensive end with the power and speed of a Bugatti Veyron, Judon has been terrorizing opposing backfields since starting on the line since 2012.

“He’s a very dynamic player,” said GVSU defensive line coach EJ Whitlow. “He has great size, athleticism, speed and he plays with a high motor. (He has) a lot of energy and passion about the game of football.”

In 2015, Judon expects to be the best he’s ever been. Getting here, however, hasn’t been easy.

Coming out of West Bloomfield High School in 2009, Judon was a moderately attractive recruit who drew some looks from Division I colleges. His academic qualifications, however, limited him to Division II, and he ended up at GVSU.

“I just fell in love with Grand Valley,” Judon said. “It’s a beautiful campus with steady improvement and Grand Rapids is a booming city… (There is) just so much stuff that happens down here. I decided to come to Grand Valley because of the culture within the program and the culture around the program.”

Judon received a redshirt as a freshman in 2010 and earned his first varsity letter after seeing time in seven games in 2011.

In 2012, Judon started eight games of the season, but missed four due to suffering a partial tear on his MCL. Despite this, Judon managed the lead all defensive linemen in tackles (37) and recorded seven tackles for loss.

Unlucky 2013 hit Judon hard, as he tore his ACL and medial meniscus in the seventh play of the season-opener against Azusa Pacific. He missed the entire season.

In football more than any other sport, injuries are almost to be expected. Some players make it through a full career without ever being seriously injured. Some, like Judon, have to miss entire seasons. Still others have seen promising careers cut short due to injury.

The injury bug links all players. The response to injuries is what sets the players apart.

“I’ve always been a fighter and I want to overcome obstacles,” Judon said. “I know the player I am on the field and I want to be that player all the time. I don’t ever want to lose… It’s not about overcoming the injury or proving myself, it’s just me playing how I know how to play the game.

“It’s not that I’m trying to prove that my knee is healthy, it’s me trying to be one-eleventh of the defense and when I do that I can make plays. I know what type of athlete and what type of competitor and what type of football player I am.”

Last year was Judon’s first full year in Laker blue. He made it count, earning First-Team All-GLIAC honors and GVSU Defensive Lineman of the Year. Judon tallied 72 total tackles, 19 for loss and eight and a half quarterback sacks.

The stats and awards look pretty in hindsight, but Judon was far from satisfied.

“I just want to win,” Judon said. “I don’t care about my stats. You got to go out there and play with reckless abandon.”

Reckless abandon has forced Judon to the sidelines via injury before. Reckless abandon has brought Judon to the spotlight as well.

At a practice earlier this summer, NFL scouts from both the Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers were in attendance, presumably due to Judon.

The 2016 NFL Draft, however, doesn’t happen until long after the 2015 GVSU football season draws to a close. While few would blame Judon for looking ahead to the next level, it’s hardly even on his radar.

“We’ve had multiple NFL scouts this camp and I haven’t heard him talk one bit about it,” said Laker head coach Matt Mitchell. “He’s very much focused on 2015 and helping us win a GLIAC title. He’s very much focused on the now which is refreshing for me.”

“The now” for Judon is the 2015 fall semester, which promises to bring more than just football. The sports management and business student will likely graduate in December – something he rarely considered back as a young player at West Bloomfield High.

“(College) wasn’t that big of a deal in my family,” Judon said. “It wasn’t stressed like that in my family. My mom always wanted us to be successful but she didn’t think success meant go to college and get a degree in something.

“She just wanted her kids to be happy so whatever made us happy, she allowed us to do and did whatever she could to help us be happy.”

For now, Judon is happy to put the key in the ignition, zoom past offensive linemen and go careening into the quarterback at full speed. Judon is happy to chase a tailback down from behind, punch the ball out, and give his offense a chance to score. Judon is happy to be a leader and push his teammates to be their best.

Judon is happy to strive for success, and, although he might not emulate any NFL players, there are others that he does mimic.

“I started reading newspapers and stuff because I want to be successful,” Judon said. “I can’t expect to be successful and not do what successful people do. Successful people read the newspaper. Successful people read book in their down time. Successful people are doing things to put themselves in a position for success. I got to copy that format that’s been laid out for everybody.”