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NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Daquan Holmes, DB, American International College

Daquan Holmes is a playmaker for AIC. I love this kids game
Daquan Holmes is a playmaker for AIC. I love this kids game

NFL Draft Diamonds has been bringing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed up the questions and added some fun questions for our readers. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the player. We hope to bring you more than 350 interviews of NFL Draft Prospects this season. You will be able to track them all on the front page of our website in the banner to the right.  Now let’s meet the prospect!!!!

What is your name?

Daquan Holmes

What is your Height/Weight?

6’0 190lbs

What is your position?

CB/Safety

Where do you play college football?

American International College (AIC)

Football is about giving back, what is the coolest thing you have done off the field?

When I was in high school I would help one of my coaches out with field days at local schools. It was fun because the kids had a blast and loved us playing different games with them.

What was the hardest college class you ever had to take?

Intermediate Accounting

Where are you from?

Troy, New York

Who is your role model, and why?

My parents. They have taught me and my brothers hard work and dedication can get anything accomplished. They also have been a great support system for me, they have been with me through everything to help guide me and keep me humble.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Soccer, baseball, basketball, and ran track and field

Did you play any other positions in football?

At AIC, I played safety, returned punts and kicks, and was a gunner on punt. Before college from Pop Warner till my senior year of high school I played DE my first year, then I played corner my whole life. Offensively I played QB, WR, and RB

At your position, what separates you from others?

My speed and IQ. Playing football for so long certain situations you just see and learn how to react to them, plays when people ask how you did that you can’t really explain and as a DB learning how to play certain situations helped me take advantage of anytime a QB threw my way. My speed allows me to stay toe to toe with WR’s and if I get beat I am able to recover to make many plays on the ball.

When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?

I first look for tendencies in an offense most Offensive coordinators have go to plays in situations so when I learn them it is easy to call out plays based off the down and distance.  I look for the QB’s throwing motion so I know how many seconds after the WR breaks does the ball come out. I also look at how a WR breaks on every route and what routes a WR runs in certain formations.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

Scott Simonson, It was my first game starting as a freshman and he was a great TE, very sure hands.

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why?

Malcolm Butler, both small school kids, same size. The way he plays I try to resemble with how he plays the ball, he plays with passion like me, and he is very fluent with his motions.

What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?

Getting suspended, It was a low point for me and I had to watch my DB core allow 413 yards and 5 TD’s to a QB that only threw 1 TD and 300 yards the first time we faced them. It hurt to watch and it made me into a man. I had to live with that all off season and I made sure comeback more mature and become a role model. I became a Captain, one of the leaders for football SAAC programs, on the leadership team for our team impact teammate Landen, and became a leader of a Track team that won its first outdoor title in school history.

daquaaDo you have any pre-game rituals?

Before every game I like to go out onto the field early and do a track warm up to get my legs really lose, along with back pedaling drills, then I say a prayer right before we go out for opening kickoff.

What is your biggest strength?

Speed and Athleticism

What is your biggest weakness?

Techniques and tackling. These two are big for me because there are times I don’t use great techniques, I rely on what I have been blessed with. I understand that and I have been working to improve my techniques to make them muscle memory to make sure I can cover the best of the best. I can tackle great in open field but I have to make sure I make every tackle if I get a shot at the next level, I see many missed tackles by DB’s turn into point so tackling is big for me also.

If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say?

If you give me a chance you will never question my work ethic or dedication. I’m willing to help the team win a game anyway possible, practice squad, special teams anything I can do to win football games I would gladly do.

Who was your favorite player and/or NFL team growing up?

Mike Vick and Primetime. Mike Vick because he was just so electric I use to wear all his cleats and his jersey to practices. I also love how he overcame a bad decision because that’s what life is about you will make bad decisions but it’s how you bounce back that defines a man and he did great. Primetime because he was just amazing to watch and my dad is a cowboy fan so he showed me Primetime all the time the dance and everything he was such a great DB.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?

Kobe Bryant, Bill Gates, and Sean Taylor

What will be the first big item you buy once you are in the NFL?

Nothing for myself, making it would be enough, I would save money to make sure I can help my parents get all my little brothers through college, that is the main thing I would do if I made it.

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Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

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