Packers rookie cornerback has always been a student of the game

Wes Hodkiewicz

GREEN BAY All these years later, the photo still has a place inBrandon Cisse's phone.

It's the iconic image of Charles Woodson, biting down on a rose stem, celebrating Michigan's 1997 victory over Ohio State to earn a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Cisse wasn't born for another seven years, but Woodson's greatness and all-around aura made an impression on Cisse's father, Cedric, who passed on that appreciation for the Packers Hall of Fame cornerback to his son.

"My dad is a big Charles Woodson fan, has a jersey," Cisse said. "Even back when he was at Michigan, wearing No. 2."

It's fitting Cisse's NFL career will begin with that same number on his shoulders after the Packers made the South Carolina cornerback their top pick in the second round (No. 53 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Hailing from Sumter, S.C., Cisse developed an early love for the game and learned from watching the best who have ever played his position. Cisse began his college career as a three-star recruit at NC State before realizing a childhood dream of playing for home state South Carolina Gamecocks in 2025.

It was a transformative year for the 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback. After earning Newcomer of the Spring honors, Cisse started all 12 games as a true junior on his way to 27 tackles, five passes defensed and an interception.

Cisse credits South Carolina and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray for molding his game, but that year in Columbia also introduced him to five-time Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore.

Given Cisse's love of South Carolina football, he already was quite familiar with the legendary Gamecocks cornerback before the two met prior to this past season. Now, Cisse said he talks to Gilmore "at least once or twice a day."

"I reached out to him, got his card at an event and just sent (a message) to him," said Cisse about how the two met. "Just a huge fan of him and when I was able to get him his number, kind of hit it off because he's a football guy. I couldn't ask for a better mentor than somebody who's going to be wearing a gold jacket."

An impressive debut season in South Carolina's secondary propelled Cisse to the NFL Draft. Despite being one of the draft's youngest players at 20 years old, Cisse shot up draft boards after producing a 41-inch vertical and 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

The performance was confirmation of everything the Packers andnational scout Mike Owen saw from Cisseover the past three years. Needing more numbers at cornerback, Green Bay jumped at the opportunity to add the football-obsessed youngster to incoming coordinator Jonathan Gannon's defense.

"I live 35 minutes from the University of South Carolina, so I spent a lot of time with him," said Owen after Green Bay drafted Cisse two weeks ago.

"Every time I went there, he was in the recruiting office watching (film of) the NFL, college or high school. That's what I love about the kid. He really loves football at the end of the day."

Film study comes naturally to Cisse because "there's always an edge and there's always something else to learn." On-field reactions and timing begin with off-field preparation and that is a challenge he admittedly craves.

As a student of the game, Cisse cannot wait to get to work with Gannon a secondary coach by trade who has worked with Darius Slay, Xavier Rhodes and Budda Baker. Cisse also has enjoyed his early interactions with pass game coordinator Bobby Babich, who led Buffalo's defense the past two seasons.

The rookie is still in the process of connecting with all his new teammates, but another South Carolina alumnus, Pro Bowl cornerback Keisean Nixon, was quick to reach out to Cisse.

Whether it's talking to Nixon or trading texts with All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney, Cisse has been on the phone nonstop over the past two weeks and eager to add to his growing football database.

"There's a learning curve, but the best thing I can do is put my best foot forward and come in each and every day trying to be a pro," Cisse said.

"Dominating the little details and once I do that, obviously the sky should be the limit. But it starts one day, and I need to learn from the guys who have been here played in Lambeau, won a lot of games, made a lot of plays."

When it comes to the Packers' history and tradition, Cisse didn't need much of a tutorial. He got chills stepping inside Lambeau Field during last week's rookie minicamp, understanding this is the fabled town in which Woodson solidified himself as a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer more than a decade ago.

Cisse knows what it means to play football in Green Bay and the goal that the team is chasing every day it enters the building. He wants to help the Packers get there.

"A team that's won 13 championships (and) we're trying to get our 14th," Cisse said. "Whatever I can do to help the team right away and whatever they need me to do I'm going to do that. It's always a chase to go get a 14th one."