NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Robert Meade, LB, Kean University

NFL Draft Diamonds website has been providing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed things up a bit. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the draft eligible player. We hope to bring you more than 350 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 to the right.  Now let’s meet our next prospect!!!!

What is your name?

Robert Meade III 

What is your Height/Weight? 

6-3 245lbs

What is your position? 

Outside Linebacker

Where do you play college football? 

Kean University

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

Every year our team would do many different things to give back to our communities. But my favorite was going to a local elementary school and reading to the little kids. You could really see the joy in their eyes when we would walk into the classroom and some would even ask for our autographs it just felt really good to put a smile on the young kids faces

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

My hardest class was statistics

Where are you from? 

I am from Colonia , New Jersey

Who is your role model, and why?

My role model and my hero is my father. He is an ex Marine and the hardest working man I know. He taught me hardwork and dedication and to never give up at a very young age and I carried that and applied it to everything I do in life and everytime I feel like I cant push anymore in a workout or in anything I just think about the training and what my father had to go through to become a marine and realize what i’m doing is nothing compared to what he sacrificed and did to become a marine. 

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

Growing up I played just about every sport Basketball, Hockey, Wrestling , Baseball and Track

Did you play any other positions in football? 

My whole life I was a quarterback including my first two years at Kean until my coach decided to switch me to outside linebacker.

At your position, what separates you from others? 

What separates me from others at my position is my mind set and preparation. Being that I was originally a quarterback I know how the offense and quarterbacks study film what they look for in a defense and also based off of defensive tendencies what possible routes quarterbacks will look to hit based off of our coverage on defense. Also my mindset I will go through anyone to get to the ball it doesn’t matter if he is 10-20 yards away I’m running to the ball and also I can read lineman very well. Also my coverage skills are very good in our defense for many situations I would have to cover a slot receiver man to man. 

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

When I’m breaking down film I look for tendencies in the offense, I will watch the lineman to see if they stagger their stance a certain way when they run a certain type of play. Will also look at the depths of the running backs because that can really give away if the back is going to stay in and block or potential draw or even play action. Also the receivers look at the splits cause for some routes they may have to extend their split or even cut their split down to make a potential crack block or even shallow crossing routes or to just get closer to be a blocker. Last look at what a team likes to run on certain down and distance and also based off of the teams field position.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

Toughest player I have ever faced was Joe Callahan from Wesley honestly one of the best quarterbacks I have ever seen

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

I would compare myself to Kiko Alonso. He is a very good coverage linebacker and is not afraid to take on blocks and or plug up a gap also his emotion on the field is very similar to mine

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

The biggest obstacle in my life was when I had to take 2 years off of school and work because of personal issues. This was hard for me because how much I loved the game of football but thankfully one day while I was working Kean called me and asked if I wanted to play football again and I ran with the opportunity and ran with it. I now have a shot to live my dream of playing in the NFL and also graduate with over a 3.0 GPA

Do you have any pre-game rituals? 

My pre-Game rituals are I always draw a crosses on my face I have done that since as long as I remember and also write ASNF on wrist tape its something my dad said to me when I was very young and I always write it on my wrist. Last I always say a prayer right before we walk into the locker room after our pre game warmups

What is your biggest strength? 

My biggest strength is my never give up mentality and my strength.

What is your biggest weakness? 

My weakness is I have to learn to use my hands more when getting off blocks which I have been working on during my training for my Regional Combine.

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

I would tell them that they will not regret picking me up that I will be the best choice they made if they pick me up just like Tom Brady once said.

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

 My favorite player growing up was Tim Tebow and my favorite team is the Miami Dolphins

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

If I could have dinner dinner with 3 people they would be My father, My Grandfather and Tim Tebow. The reason I picked my father and my grandfather is because my grandfather died when my father was very young and being able to have them 2 at the table with me would be a dream come true I would love to meet my grandfather and have him tell me stories of my dad when he was young and even things they did together and I know my father would do anything to see his father again. My third person was Tim Tebow because the player he is and the person he is off the field I feel I could learn so much by just having the chance to talk to him about his beliefs and how he views things in life.

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

The first thing I will buy when I make it to the NFL is a brand new house for my mother and my father