NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Dominique Shelton, CB, Mississippi Valley State University

• Name: Dominique Shelton 
• Height: 5’10 
• Weight: 191
• Position: Cornerback/Nickelback
• College: Mississippi Valley State 
• Twitter: dshel21 

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

•     I’m from Fairfield, California & I loved growing up out there. The vibe is chill and an area is definitely a place where I’ll want to raise my kids because it’s a safe area and the education is good out there.

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

•     Strength & conditioning,

• film study
• Practice

What do you worry about, and why?

•     I worry about the future because you never know what life might bring at you at any moment.

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

•     One time I’ll always remember is my first game of Varsity football. It was my first game as a converted running back at corner & I gave up 3 touchdowns. After that game, I had a mental breakdown and felt like football wasn’t for me. How I overcame this failure is simple, I practiced my craft day in & day out to better myself as a corner all throughout high school, JUCO & so on. Til this day that moment still sticks with me & humbles me to go harder because I never want to feel the way I did after that game. It also motivates me to always work harder because I know there’s someone out there potentially working harder.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•     My teammates will describe my best quality as being a silent leader. A leader that leads by their on the field action and not their words. Actions are louder than words.

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

•     The best player I’ve guarded in my collegiate career was in junior college & its  Marquise Brown, current WR for Oklahoma. He’s really fast.

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

•     If football wasn’t my career, I’ll want to become a parole officer or anything regarding my criminal justice degree.

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

•     Room, because your room is your safe place, your happy place, you can’t have that dirty no matter what the circumstances are.

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

•     My family member because it will eat at me alive knowing I saved three people I will never talk to a day in my life after the situation, rather than someone who is blood-related to me.

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

•     I would love to be Phineas or Ferb because their summer vacation was endless. Who doesn’t want a summer vacation that lasts forever?

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

•    Growing up, school was always easy. It was easy all the way up to my sophomore year. My sophomore year I transferred to a Catholic private school & school was very difficult my first year. I buckled down, blocked out distractions and studied hard. Which resulted in me finishing my two final years at Justin Siena with a GPA’s over a 3.0.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•     My most embarrassing moment is when I gave up those 3 touchdowns my first game as a Varsity starter. That feeling is unbearable.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•     The most memorable play in my collegiate career is my pick 6 against UAPB, that didn’t count because they called a controversial pass interface call on me.

A play that’s memorable that counted is my hit on a bubble screen against Jacksonville State. That play is memorable because I had a whole bunch of family and friends watching the game live on TV.

What song best describes your work ethic?

•     Underdog – Lil Baby & Gunna

This song describes my work ethic because in my opinion I always been the underdog. I have always been told I been too small/never looked the part of a division one college athlete & because of that, I’ll always train hard on becoming the best DB I could be.

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

•    Being mentally strong, because if you go out on the gridiron and have any second guesses about yourself or your ability that’s when you’ll mess up. Confidence is everything

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

•     I would want to bring my brother Carlos Hawkins back to life. That was my best friend growing up and playing youth football for the Solano Mustangs was unforgettable. I and he have unforgettable memories & cancer took him at a young age. longlivelos is tattooed on me, so he is with me forever on this football journey & my life journey.

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

•     I would name it cLub.

Lowercase C U & B

Uppercase L and the bottom line of the L will underline the “ub” in cLub

(Got the idea off family guy)

Who is/was the most overrated player in the NFL?

•     Jamarcus Russell

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•     Respected, because respect is everything in life. If people respect you, you have power.

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

•     Josh Gordon, because he is an All-Pro reviewer & he is labeled as a “cancer” to any team because his off the field issues. Numbers don’t lie, people do.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•     Being in my current situation now, I hate losing. Losing is something if repeated will drive you crazy and that’s where mental toughness comes into play. If you don’t have mental toughness while your team loses it’ll make you play down to your ability and that isn’t good at all.

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

•    My Mom, Dad, Grandma, my uncle, and my great-grandparents. They’re my motivation on why I do what I do!