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NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Anthony Latina, OL, John Carroll University

John Carroll offensive lineman Anthony Latina is a veteran on the line for JCU. He is a good player with great movement.
John Carroll offensive lineman Anthony Latina is a veteran on the line for JCU. He is a good player with great movement.

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? 

o   Anthony Latina

What is your Height/Weight? 

o   6’3” 305

What is your position? 

o   OL

Where do you play college football? 

o   John Carroll University

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

o   I have been a leader for JCU’s Jesuit Day of Service  (JDOS) for the past three years. JDOS is a day where numerous Jesuit institutions in Northeast Ohio lend a helping hand to serve neighborhood organizations in the Cleveland area. I have been fortunate to meet those whom we have helped, and to see the smiles on their faces meant the world to me. 

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

o   Accounting

Where are you from? 

o   Independence, Ohio

Who is your role model, and why? 

o   My dad, he has shown me what it truly means to be a man. He has sacrificed numerous weekends and nights to earn extra money to send my sister and I through school, and he has never complained once. I cannot thank him enough. 

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

o   I used to play basketball, and baseball when I was younger. In high school, I played rugby.

Did you play any other positions in football? 

o   Just Offensive Line.

At your position, what separates you from others? 

o   My flexibility. Throughout my four years, I have played all five positions on the offensive line. I understand each position and their unique situations against various defensive fronts. 

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

o   I start with the defensive linemen and I look for their favorite moves and any tips they reveal through their alignment or by which hand they put down. As for defensive schemes, I look at safety support/rotation and linebacker depth. 

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

o   Tom Lally, Mount Union. As well as our defensive linemen in practice.

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

o   Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns. I may not be as long as him, but I root myself in proper technique and being a reliable teammate. We both share those characteristics. 

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

o   In high school I did not start, I was a backup. I really wanted to play college ball too, so I had to somehow prove myself to various college coaches that I was worth the risk. Then once I did that, I had to compete with 3-4 year starters who were All-State and whatnot, and separate myself from them to earn a starting spot. 

Do you have any pre-game rituals? 

o   Nothing too unusual I listen to music, and then before we go out I write “AMDG” (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, which means for the greater glory of God in Latin) on my wrist tape. 

What is your biggest strength? 

o   My flexibility and my knowledge for the pro-style offense. 

What is your biggest weakness? 

o   I’m too critical when it comes to my mistakes, I strive to be the best and when I fall short for even one rep, it drives me crazy cause I feel like I could have prevented it.  

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

o   I am goal driven ball player, who strives to make the team better no matter what the role is. I have a great grasp on the pro-style offense, and I can play wherever I am needed. 

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

o   Cleveland Browns

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

o   Don Shula, London Fletcher, LeCharles Bentley

What will be the first big item you buy once you are in the NFL?

o   Maybe a trip to Italy or Greece

Rapid Answers: 

  • Tupac or Biggie?
  • NFL Network or ESPN?
  • Coke or Pepsi?
  • Pizza or Burgers?
  • Dogs or Cats?

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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