NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Chris Landrum, OLB, Jacksonville State University

NFL Draft Diamonds and our staff have been bringing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 2 years and this year we mixed up the questions and added some fun questions for our readers.  We have tons of NFL staff that read our interviews, and we actually received several of the questions from NFL scouts we speak too.  This gives them a little bit more information regarding your character.  We hope to bring you more than 300 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.

What is your name? 

Christopher Landrum Sr.

What is your Height/Weight? 

6’3  260

What is your position? 

DE/ OLB

Where do you play college football? 

Jacksonville State University

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

Attending Jerimiah Castile’s Character camps the past 2 summers. It was a camp free to all kids in which we helped with football, but also talked to them about Christ and life.

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

Chemistry

Where are you from? 

Sweet Water AL

Who is your role model, and why?

My Dad, Roosevelt Landrum. He is the hardest worker I know, as well as one of the most gentle people I know. He is a perfect example of what I want to be as a husband, father, and a Christian man. He is my best friend and is the first to congratulate me and also the first to let me know when I am wrong.  

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Growing up I played football, baseball, and basketball

Did you play any other positions in football?

In High School I played running back and OLB. In my two years at Auburn I played both Mike linebacker and H- Back.

At your position, what separates you from others?

Playing Mike Linebacker at Auburn taught me a lot about the back end of the defense that I didn’t know before. Knowing where people fit and knowing where your help is going to be on every play is always important. It allows you to play fast and also allows the people that are fitting off of you to play fast.  

When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?
1. Formation tendencies (what is the run/ pass percentage),
2. player personnel tendencies ( do they run certain things with only certain people) ,
3. Style of play by O-Line ( is he a leaner/ patient/ physical?), 
4. Does anything give pass or run away? ( O- line stance/ QB feet/ Back depth)
5. What plays they run most successfully? (top run plays)

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

Jimmy Garoppolo

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

James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers, because we are both physical and play with a high motor.  

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

Last year my son was born and I also got married. As a full- time college student, a football player, a husband, and a dad we struggled to make ends meet. So my wife and I both began working and are full time students. It was hard on us at first until we got the flow of things and worked out the scheduling. She currently works in the mornings and I work at nights after practice.  I overcame this by just working hard and doing the best I can for my family.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Pray with my Dad before every game.

As a small school football player what obstacles do you feel you have to overcome?

Coming from a small school you have to overcome the obstacle of proving yourself. You have to prove you can play with the other guys in the draft because they may feel like your competition level is weaker compared to D1.

What is your biggest strength?

My explosion, my eyes, and the ability to learn quickly.

What is your biggest weakness?

Upper body strength, some time I try and do to much

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

My goal and my driving force is to be the best. I will work to be the best and I won’t stop until I get there. And when I get there I will work harder to stay there because there will always be someone new that feels just like I do.

Who was your favorite player and/or NFL team growing upNFL who would it be and why?

Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens, I love Ray Lewis because of his energy, effort, and passion he brought to the game.

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

 Ray Lewis, Tony Dungy, Liam Neeson

With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy?

Nothing in particular, I would begin to save.

Rapid Answers:

• Spongebob or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
• Backstreet Boys or One Direction? 
• Lifetime Channel or HGTV?
• Waffles or Pancakes?
• Snakes or Spiders?
• Madden or Mario?