NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Mike Mentor, DL, Wagner College

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? 

My name is Mike Mentor

What is your Height/Weight? 

I am 6’2, 275 pounds

What is your position? 

I play defensive end and defensive tackle

Where do you play college football? 

I play at Wagner College

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

Spent time at a local church in Staten Island helping children with homework after school

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

Hardest class was business stats!

Where are you from? 

I am from North Bergen, New Jersey

Who is your role model, and why? 

My Mother Veronica Mentor because of the countless hours she worked since I was a child to show me a better life

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

Yes I was an All County basketball player in high school and played soccer at the age of 8

Did you play any other positions in football? 

Yes, In high school I played outside linebacker and running back.

At your position, what separates you from others? 

My ability to convert speed into power

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

I look at the Offensive Lineman’s body language on 3rd down and their hands also protection schemes

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

The toughest player I ever faced was the quarterback from Rice Driphus Jackson

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

Elvis Dumervil because he used great leverage and plays with a great motor

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

Tearing my ACL and having blood clots in my knee in 2008. I could not play for two seasons and I overcame it by doing rehab and lifting weights until I couldn’t anymore and being patient, also going to Fork Union Military Academy in 2011 for 10 months.

Do you have any pre-game rituals? 

Yes, I put my eye black on the same time every week

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

Just getting noticed in the media versus the other big school name guys.

What is your biggest strength? 

Biggest strength is my motor and will to work every day

What is your biggest weakness? 

My eye discipline

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

I work tirelessly until I reach my goals for this team. I will lock into detail in my position and surprise people with my athletic ability and strength on making plays.

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

My favorite player growing up was Warren Sapp

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

Jay Z, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Emily Ratajkowski

With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy?

I would put most of it in the bank and treat my parents

Rapid Answers:

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