NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Dewayne Alford, DE/OLB, University of South Alabama

NFL Draft Diamonds website has been providing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed things up a bit. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the draft eligible player. We hope to bring you more than 500 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 our next prospect!!!!

What is your name? 

Dewayne Alford Jr

What is your Height/Weight? 

6’3 240

What is your position? 

DE/OLB

Where do you play college football?

 University of South Alabama

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

Volunteered at several elementary schools for their weekly game nights

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

Research and Design Methods

Where are you from?

 Suffolk, VA

Who is your role model, and why? 

My father Dewayne Alford. He has and still is showing me how to be a man in all aspects of life and being accountable for your actions

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

Baseball, track and field

Did you play any other positions in football? 

In high school: running back, tight end, wide receiver. College: Full-back, and Defensive Tackle

At your position, what separates you from others? 

My ball get off and speed

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

Body language that will show the type of play that could happen, tendencies, split/gap size, level of the running back in relation to the quarterback, ratio of runs to passes

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

T.J. Clemmings

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

Dee Ford, I think we both have a somewhat similar style of play

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

Tearing my Achilles during the summer right before my senior season. I overcame the adversity through rehabilitation, prayer, and immersing myself in my school work.

Do you have any pre-game rituals? 

Prayer

What is your biggest strength? 

My resilience

What is your biggest weakness? 

Wanting to make every play which can sometimes get you in trouble

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

I am a hard worker, I try and motivate my teammates through example, I won’t embarrass the organization, in order to keep from being a stagnant player, and every practice I try and pick out at least one flaw in my game and work on it that day.

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

Favorite player: John Abraham. Favorite team: New Orleans Saints

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

Dr. Sebi, Shirley Chisholm, and Big K.R.I.T.

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

An apartment