NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Nick Dorka, K/P, William and Mary

What is your name?

Nick Dorka

What is your Height/Weight?

5’11 170

What is your position?

Kicker/punter

Where do you play college football?

Played 4 years at the College of William and Mary

Where are you from?

Vienna, Va

Who is your role model, and why?

Both my Dad and Mom, they come from different backgrounds but have instilled and preached the same values as I’ve grown up. My Dads taught me how to present myself as a confident young man and understanding exactly what I want and how to go get it, and the necessary work it takes in order to achieve my goals and aspirations. My moms always aspired me to aim big and that nothing is out of reach no matter what you come from or the obstacles that stand in your way, cherishing every step of the way and really enjoying the process it takes in order to achieve greatness.

Who was your favorite teacher?

Of course every teacher has their ways of learning and harps on different things in the classroom depending on the subject. I’ve learned a ton throughout school, but the teacher whose taught me the most is the one whose always there, always by my side and always teaching me. God has his way of teaching no matter the environment or scenario, whether it’s learning from prior mistakes or say realizing your purpose for something, something truly important, and pushing you to be the best son, student, player, and human possible. He has his way of speaking to you, and I feel and see his works everyday.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Growing up I played baseball, basketball, soccer, and even track. Surprisingly, I had never played football until freshmen year of high school, but I’ve taken the skills I’ve learned throughout my athletic career and implemented them into how I perform on the football field. It’s important to me that I take that competitiveness and athleticism to the field with me every time I kick and I certainly use those attributes to my advantage.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

Myself. Before every game I look into the mirror and see the only person who can hold myself back, the only person who can prevent myself from being great and helping the team to victory. I look into the mirror and expect to win and even though there’s a team across the field waiting to compete, the primary competition is myself. You may succeed if nobody else believes in you, but you will never succeed if you don’t believe in yourself. If you prepare correctly there should be no excuses.

Who is the most underrated player on your team?

What is the one song that would fire you up before the biggest game of your life?

Anything and everything by Future, he’s a great pump up artist.

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

Justin Tucker. In him I see a lot of myself, about 6 ft 170-180. I see a guy who knows he’s one of the best and works constantly at his craft to be the best. I see a guy who has great morals and character. I see a guy who likes to perform under pressure and when he succeeds has fun with his teammates. I see a guy his teammates want to play hard and block for.

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

A lot of guys work hard and see results almost immediately. For me, in terms of football, I performed in high school at a very high level, but wasn’t recruited heavily or talked about much. I’ve always carried that chip on my shoulder whenever I put those pads on and have continued to work extremely hard at my craft. Even as a specialist, I want every team to regret not having me on their side and show them what they missed out on. I got some gratification out of receiving some awards in college for my performance, but even after that I was still and still am itching to go to the next level and do what I know I can do. I have high goals and expectations in years to come, and I won’t be happy until I overcome such obstacles standing in my way and become one of the best to do it.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Watching a great movie the night before in the hotel rooms are definitely a must. As for before the game, it’s game time, it’s go time! I keep to myself and don’t say much, visualizing everything before it happens so that when it comes I’ve already gone through it.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

Before half time against our rival Richmond, the offense put together a couple nice plays to get me inside range and hit a 52 yarder as time expired. It was memorable not just because of the distance and importance, but looking up into the stands and seeing my parents smile at me as I walked off the field, like you and I both knew this was going in.

What is the coolest thing you ever did off the field for someone else?

A couple years ago, I took a trip down to NC with my church and volunteered to help rebuild and fix up homes in the area that we’re less fortunate. There are a ton of things I could talk about during that trip but just seeing the happiness and joy in these residents eyes after we had finished was the ultimate gratification forsure.

Who was your favorite NFL team growing up?

The Washington Redskins, always has been and always will be. HTTR!

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

Great question, I would have to have a mix of people with different life experiences so that I could take in everything they had to say and expand my knowledge a little. Tiger Woods, maybe Barack Obama, and definitely Jesus Christ. If I had a 4th LeBron would have to be at that table.