Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Joseph Matthews, WR, New Mexico State

Every year, NFL Draft Diamonds brings our readers the best in depth interviews on the internet. We specialize in giving players an opportunity to showcase their talents on our website. We conducted interviews last year with over 300 plus players. We want you to enjoy our interviews, because when these young men are in the league, we will not be surprised, and neither should you. 

What is your name?

Joseph Matthews

What is your Height/Weight?

6’2”/205

What is your position?

WR

Where do you play college football?

New Mexico State (D1-A)

How many teams were recruiting you out of high school?

2

How did you choose your school?

I chose the school because it was the first offer I received, not fully understanding the recruiting process.

Where are you from?

I am from Tucson Arizona

Who is your role model, and why?

I would have to say that Jesus is my role model. The ultimate sacrifice of dying for someone is incomparable to any other sacrifice I feel anyone could make.

Have any scouts met with you yet, and if so what are they saying?

I’ve talked to one about disclosed information to my family’s request.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Growing up I played baseball, soccer, track, and basketball.

Did you play any other positions in football?

In football other than WR I’ve played CB, RB, CB, FS, SS, LB, and all special teams including onside kicker and place holder.

At your position, what separates you from others?

What separates me from others in my position I would say is hand eye coordination, the ability to catch the ball wherever it is thrown.

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

When breaking down film, I first look at the opponents demeanor on the field (is he lazy? Does he rely on athleticism or technique? Etc.). And then I move on to the broader defensive schemes such as coverage and how the team disguise coverages and blitzes.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

The toughest player I’ve ever faced is myself. Not to sound arrogant, but from what I’ve learned playing football at a competitive level is that no matter who you face off with, what is going to determine much of your success is your technique. If a player is good, he is likely getting you away from your technique with whatever method he is good at. If you give into that and let your technique go out the window, your chances for success is low. When you can defeat yourself by staying focused and trusting the techniques you learned, I believe you have just defeated the toughest opponent.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

I go over the game plan and make sure to mentally refine what we went over in practice that week for the game.

What is your biggest strength?

My biggest strength is my mental toughness.

What is your biggest weakness?

My biggest weakness is the hunger to win, I say this because I’ve been on many losing teams which means that this hunger to win has often gone unfed.

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

I would say that my words are made substance on the field.