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NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Brian Berzanski, OL, University of Central Missouri

Brian Berzanski is a big boy who has a mean streak. First team All-MIAA two years in a row
Brian Berzanski is a big boy who has a mean streak. First team All-MIAA three years in a row

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? 

Brian Berzanski

What is your Height/Weight? 

6’5” 315

What is your position? 

OT

Where do you play college football? 

University of Central Missouri

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

Every summer I go back to my high school for a couple weeks, and put the football team through college workouts.

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

Finance

Where are you from? 

Vernon Hills, IL 30 minutes north of Chicago

Who is your role model, and why? 

My Uncle Jerry. He was an amazing man who lived his life in a way that everyone strives for.

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

Anything competitive really. I played football, basketball, baseball, bowling, golf, volleyball, and track and field.

Did you play any other positions in football? 

Back in high school I played defensive line, and did some kicking on the side.

Brian_BerzanskiAt your position, what separates you from others? 

I think the combination of my athleticism and technique. My athleticism helps me more when I get down the field trying to block the more shifty smaller guys. Technique is very crucial for an offensive lineman. It can make or break you. With good technique one can have tremendous success against anyone who lines up across from you.

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

Everyone looks at tendencies of the opponent. It is vital for any player to be able to know what is going to happen in certain looks. When looking at specific defensive lineman I like to look at a few things. I look at the stance, the hips (cause the hips don’t lie), and hands.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

Matt Longacre. He was very sound with his technique, and had a great motor.

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

Taylor Lewan. I enjoy watching him play football. I really noticed his style of play at the University of Michigan, and loved it. He brings the combination of athleticism with some nastiness behind it. I have similar attributes of his play in mine. He is really a great young player I model myself to.

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

The first couple of years of college I experienced some unfortunate combinations of tragedies. I lost many friends and family to passings. The football team at UCM is one big family, and my team helped me get through those tough times.

Do you have any pre-game rituals? 

I always walk from goalpost to goalpost before the game.

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

Being from a small school you have to get past the mindset of every person out there that thinks D2 athletes cannot compete with D1 athletes. It has been proven many times that D2 players can compete and thrive against high competition.

What is your biggest strength? 

Is my technique

What is your biggest weakness? 

Just having faster feet

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

By giving me this opportunity I will not let you down. I hold myself to the highest standard possible to represent myself, and your organization in the best way imaginable. You will get a player with excellent work ethic that you can count on whenever you can on him. A player that is accountable to the organization and team members. I will make the most out of every second of this opportunity.

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

I am a hometown guy so it hands down the Bears

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

Brian Urlacher, Jonathan Toews, and Will Farrell

With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy?

I would not buy anything. I need to pay back my parents for all the money they spent feeding me throughout the years.

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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