NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Derek Dressler, OL, Concord University

• Name: Derek Dressler
• Height: 6’2
• Weight: 305lbs.
• Position: Center
• College: Concord University
• Twitter: @Derek_Dressler

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

• My hometown is extremely small and there isn’t much to do other than work and play sports. Although it is small, it’s full of people who care about one another and make the best of what our small town has. The people who reside here are what I love the most about it.

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

• 1.) Practice
• Practice makes perfect and no season in any sports starts with a game. Practice sets the standards of teams and gives players an opportunity to show what they are made of.
• 2.) Film Study
• Film gives players an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and gain knowledge. I firmly believe that a player who knows more about the game and knows their playbook will produce more on the field compared to a player who is just conditioned and strong.
• 3.) Strength and Conditioning
• Strength and conditioning are extremely important, but I ranked it last because you don’t have to be the strongest or fastest person on the field to win. It is a mindset that you are better than the man in front of you that going to separate you from others.

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry about my future and what I can do to ensure that I am happy with it. I want to make sure that I’m successful in life and can provide for not only myself but a family one day.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

• Going through the recruiting process in high school all I had on my mind was “D1”. At the time I was told by multiple coaches that I was “too short” or that “I come from such a small school that I will never be able to handle the competition at a big college”. Instead, I found myself playing at a division 2 college and reacted by approaching everything I did with a killer mentality. I overcame failure by ending my career with two seasons as an all-conference lineman and started in 37 games.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• That I am coachable and that I’m easy to get along with.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?

• Billy Brown (Shepherd University)

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football?

• A football coach

Room, desk, and car – which do you clean first?

• Desk

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

• The one family member, because family is everything and always comes first.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

• Thor, he has tons of different superpowers and can lead. Plus, he is apart of an unstoppable team.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

• My biggest adversity in life was moving from high school to college. I had to become my own man and learn to take care of myself. My success wasn’t going to be determined by a family member, but my own desire to be the best I could. I dealt with that by pushing through hardships such as homesicknesses, stress, and failure.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• During high school, all my friends attended our rival school. It was basketball season and all of them were in the student section when we played against each other. I got into the game in the last seconds and was shooting free throws. Even though they went to our rival school they started cheering my name. I air-balled both free throws…

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• The last play of my first game as a senior. We won the game in the last seconds off a field goal. That was the first time I’ve ever been able to experience a last-second win as a player.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Eye of the Tiger

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level?

• Determination

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• Vince Lombardi because he had an excellent career as a coach and general manager. I admire his desire to win and success rate. Plus, my uncle is probably the biggest Green Bay fan alive.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it?

• Varity

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL?

• I don’t feel that any player is overrated. Each player has something unique about themselves and brings different attributes to their team. They are in the NFL for a reason.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected than liked. Respect is earned through hard work and experience. With respect, also comes production. If your teammates respect you they are more trustworthy and can be relied on.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

• Pat Tillman, his career wasn’t derailed by anything negative he did but was derailed for his desire to serve his country. He saw the world for what it was and left this earth at an early age. That’s why I feel for him the most.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• Hate to lose

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why

• My father, he’s a single parent who has worked multiple jobs to support my brother and myself.