NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Naiquan Thomas, LB, Fairmont State

What is your name?

Naiquan Thomas

What is your Height/Weight?

6”0 210lbs

What is your position?

FS/SS

Where do you play college football?

(D1aa) University of Rhode Island transfer to Fairmont state (D2)

Where are you from?

Englewood, NJ

Who is your role model, and why?

Role model – Tyrann Mathieu, because of what he has overcome and I was in the same position as him with being dismissing from the team before transferring.

Who was your favorite teacher?

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Played football and basketball and also softball growing up.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

The toughest player I ever played against was Will Tye, stony brook product

Who is the most underrated player on your team?

The most underrated player on my team is Chinedu Oparaku

What is the one song that would fire you up before the biggest game of your life?  Meek Mill – Save me

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

Kam Chancellor, both very physical and can lay the boom, aggressive. Comes down hill fast and can cover TE’s very well.

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

Being dismissed from the university of rhode island and having to sit out the following year due to transfer rules. Did not know if I was going to be able to play football again after the dismissal. But I kept praying and held my head high , I stayed focus and continued to become a better person. Did not make one mistake determine the rest of my future.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?  I tend to do yoga before every game and take hot tub baths the night before.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

The most memorable play was the opening kick off of my first game and I was the first person to get down field and I hit the returner so hard he fumbled and was knocked out with a concussion for the rest of the year.

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

The coolest thing I ever did was come home and give back to my old HS, give speeches and help them learn the game. So far I still hold the record for the most rushing yards in a single season with 1800

Who was your favorite NFL team growing up?

New England Patriots

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

Lebron James, Floyd Mayweather, Jay Z