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NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Joshua Caver, DT, Southwest Baptist University

Joshua Caver walked away from football only to come back a bigger and stronger nose tackle
Joshua Caver walked away from football only to come back a bigger and stronger nose tackle

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?

Joshua Caver

What is your height/weight?

6’ 3” 320 lbs.

What is your position?

I mainly play Nose Tackle but I rotate between nose and 3 technique.

Where do you play college football?

Southwest Baptist University

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

The coolest thing I have done off the field was help coach my younger brother’s little league team a few years ago. I also had the opportunity to give back to the community at my university through several community service opportunities.

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

Kinesiology

Where are you from?

Pasadena, Texas

Who is your role model, and why?

I have two role models. First would be my dad. He helped guide me into becoming the man I am today on and off the field. He showed me what it meant to be a father, a husband, and a productive member of the society. He also gave me a strong foundation in sports. He always encouraged me to finish and to never quit no matter the task. Second would be my Grandpa Toby. He was my weekend getaway growing up. He was the one who brought football into my life. He was at every one of my games from little league through high school. He was always in my corner pushing to be the best I can be.

Did you play any other sport growing up?

Yes, I played baseball, basketball, and soccer.

Did you play any other positions in football?

Yes, I was a defensive end and offensive guard in high school.

At your position, what separates you from others?

I would say my football IQ combined with my strength and my motor separates me from the others. I watch endless hours of film to prepare for my opponents and pride myself on being able to sniff out a play before the ball is snapped. My size and strength allows me to absorb blocks to free up backers, but I know how and when to get off the block and make the play.

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

I look for small tendencies that give away plays. Such as their hand placement pre-snap that matches pass plays or run plays, their two point to three point stance tendency, and any form of body leaning. I also use the scouting reports to match their formation to their plays types. I make a defensive call for each play and map it out in my head where to position myself in a game situation.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

I would have to go with the three interior offensive lineman at the University of Indy.

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

I would say I’m like Vince Wilfork. Big, strong, and always establishing a new line of scrimmage.

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

The biggest obstacle I have had to overcome in my life would be getting back to where I belonged after leaving the game of football and college for a year and a half. After my sophomore year of college football, I left Southwest Baptist University to be back with my family. My wife and I became regular workers, and for the first time in my life had to be in the real world away from football. In that year in a half I lost my best friend and my uncle. Before they passed, my best friend and uncle told me how they wished I never left my college career. I knew I wanted to play again, but didn’t know how. I wanted to finish where I started, and luckily for me, SBU’s new defensive coordinator had all of his chips on me. I returned to football in 2014 close to the worst shape of my life, but through hard work and perseverance I was able to finish my career in the best shape of my life along with the best season of my career.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

I have one ritual. I sit in my locker, turn on my game day playlist, close my eyes and picture how the game is going to go.

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

I believe I have to overcome proving to scouts that I can compete at the next level and not just at the D2 level.

What is your biggest strength?

My biggest strength is my mentality. I believe I can’t be blocked on the field. I believe I will make every play that comes my way, and even those that don’t. I believe I am the best. My mentality gives me that edge I need to dominate.

What is your biggest weakness?

My biggest weakness would be my mentality as well. The nose position isn’t always the prettiest. Sometime you just have to take on double and triple teams and let your backers make the tackle. Sometimes I get too caught up in stopping the play that I ditch those blocks too soon and allow opportunities for a play to happen.

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

I would say that I am a dominant player who has the size, the strength, and the IQ to play at the next level. All I need is a chance to prove it to you. I also know what it’s like to live without the game of football, and I know I’m not ready to go back to that life. I am a family man who has his family behind him ready to work and grind to get to where we want to be.

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

Before the Houston Texans became a franchise, I was a Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears fan.

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

My best friend Matthew Sepulveda, my Grandpa Toby, and my Uncle Eddie.

With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy?

I would pay off my student loans.

Rapid Answers:

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

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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