NATCHEZ — Former Trinity Episcopal Day School standout Larry Calcote said the highlight of his college career was the opportunity to face some of the top defensive linemen in the country.

Now that Calcote has wrapped up his senior year at Northwestern State University, he will pursue his dream of playing against the top competition in the world in the NFL.

“The talent that I played against was really the highlight of my career,” Calcote said. “My freshman year I didn’t allow any sacks, and I played against three guys that are in the NFL now. I got the chance to play against a first-round draft pick, Michael Brockers (from LSU), and did good too. My personal highlights were that I got to see the best the country has to offer.”

Calcote looks to use those experiences to push him toward an NFL career, which he is already training to achieve while finishing up school and graduating in the spring.

“It’s going to be a lot of work,” he said. “But it’s really all or nothing if you want to make it. I have to be fully committed, because if you’re not committed you don’t have a shot.”

Calcote’s pro day is scheduled for sometime in March, and he said he will be working out and training until that day.

The Demons did not have a great 2012 season to send Calcote off, but he said the 4-7 record will be used as motivation for his NFL training.

Calcote said he is hoping to follow a similar path to the NFL as former Trinity athlete Stevan Ridley.

“Stevan showed me that it doesn’t matter how small or big your high school is or what town you come from,” he said. “If you can work hard and get your foot in the door, then all that matters is what you do with that opportunity.”

But in the end, Calcote’s quest will be about following his dream.

“It would be awesome if I can make it,” he said. “It’s been a dream to play in the NFL since I was a kid. But at the same time, it feels like my destiny and what I was put here to do.”