NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Rusmin Nikocevic, DE, Texas 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?

Rusmin Nikocevic

What is your Height/Weight?

6’4 268

What is your position?

Defensive End

Where do you play college football?

Texas State University

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

In junior college a couple of teammates and I helped our coaches run a special needs flag football camp/flag football game and that always sat heavy with me because just seeing how happy the kids were to be able to play the game of football made me appreciate the game and life that much more

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

My British literature class

Where are you from?

Born in Bronx New York but raised in California

Who is your role model, and why?

My mother as cliché as it sounds I watched my mother grow up 3 kids on her own her whole life and for that I could never pay her back but a lot I do is to show her that I appreciate it because without her I wouldn’t be who I am today

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Played a little bit of youth soccer, youth basketball, youth baseball and youth volleyball

Did you play any other positions in football?

Yes played Tight End, Fullback, O-line, Ouside backer and D-line

At your position, what separates you from others?

Being able to win at the line of scrimmage and holding the center of attack on the run which allows me to make plays in the backfield for loss yards

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

When breaking down film what I like to 1st look for is if the opponent will give small things away such as if he is giving me a high hat or low hat on a run or pass if he likes to stare where he is going and the differences in stance from when it’s a run or pass. And what he does on certain down & distance

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

I would have to respectively give that to my old junior college teammate Will Latu who was the #1 ranked OL in the country at the time. Practicing against him all the time helped me in my game

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

I would have to say Michael Bennett from the Seattle Sehawks he plays the run very aggressive and fast he is a run stop 1st pass rush 2nd but can switch to pass rush quick enough to help in the pass rush phase he can play strong side d-end and line up as a 3 tech in a 4 front for pass rush as well.

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

I would have to say going to junior college to get a football scholarship. Not too many kids can make it out of the JUCO route but not too many can relate to the JUCO struggle as well. I overcame it by just focusing on the dream and task that was at hand I knew my mother would have a rough time to help get me through college so I had to make it work and the reward was getting a scholarship and having her pay nothing.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

I always eat a bag of skittles an hour before I have to head out

What is your biggest strength?

I would have to say being as strong as I am because it helps me while playing in the trenches and it’s a straight war in there and only the strongest will survive.

What is your biggest weakness?

High pad level at times

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

I play the game not only because I love it but because of all the hard work and dedication it takes to play it. i live for the grind that’s all i know because I want to be the best ever at the position I play and the best ever at what I do and wining rings comes with that.

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

Warren Sapp, Indianapolis Colts

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

Greek King Odysseus, Reggie White, Babe Ruth

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

1st big item would probably be a house for my mother if anyone deserves anything is her!

Rapid Answers:

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