NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Elijah Bryant, DT, SUNY Maritime

NFL Draft Diamonds has interviewed some of the best small schoolers to make it to the NFL.  Last year our team interviewed over 750 players from NAIA to the FBS.  This year we went to NFL teams scouts for every question on this interview.  Ten NFL scouts who are avid readers of Draft Diamonds put this interview together for our reader’s pleasure.  We hope you enjoy this interview, with another potential NFL draft prospect. 

• Name: Elijah Bryant 
• Height: 6’2 
• Weight:300
• Position: Defensive Tackle 
• College: SUNY Maritime 
• Twitter: ElijahBryant11

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

• New York City! Best City In The World. What I love about my hometown are all the historic landmarks. Madison Square Garden, Grand Central Station & The Apollo Theatre. Still Get Chills Every time I pass these places.       

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

• I will say Strength and Conditioning first. You have to be in shape to be able to compete at the highest level possible. Film study comes second cause it helps you mentally prepare for the Game Against the opponent. Then PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!! Practice Perfect Play Perfect.       

What do you worry about, and why?

• I Worry About My Mother a lot. Cause she’s been a single parent of 4 kids for 29 years. Seeing her struggle daily to keep a roof over me and my sibling’s heads, food on the table & clothes on our back. I just want to take those worries away from her just to let her know all of her hard work had paid off. 

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

• In high school, I didn’t have the best of grades. I was so worried about just being an athlete instead of a student-athlete. Couldn’t go to the best schools in the country so I had to go too junior college and become the student-athlete I am today. Took something negative and turned it into a positive.         

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• My Beast Mentality To Lay It All On The Line. Also the speed and physicality I bring to the trenches.

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

• Moses Harris Castleton University         

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

• I will be a tax accountant or go back as a coach to my old high school.     

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

• Room         

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

• Being the type of person I am. I will save all or die trying.        

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

• I would be Marvel’s, Black Panther. The reason why is cause I will have all the necessary tools to change my community and others around me.       

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

• Having to lose my best friend Tahjai Jackson and my Godfather David Sostre Back To Back. It was tough dealing with it but every night I prayed to God to give me the strength to keep moving forward. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• Ripping my dress pants in front of the whole lunch room at school. Also had holes in my boxers which made it a bit more embarrassing.         

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• Strip Sacking The Quarterback Brendan Greene from Hampton University!       

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor       

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

• Speed, Power, Technique & My Strong Mentality. 

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

• It Would Be My God Father David Sostre. He’s the man that got me involved with football at the age of 6. Having him here seeing me succeed to the next level will be everything to me and him.       

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

• I would open up a youth center instead. I want to keep the kids off the street and get active.       

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL? 

• No Player is overrated. They are there for a reason.       

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Rather be respected cause that goes a long way.       

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

• I will say Eric LeGrand, he was such a dominant defensive tackle for Rutgers University. Sadly due to his career-ending injury, he will never walk or play the sport he worked so hard for again.      

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I Love Winning but I take my wins like I take my losses.        

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

• My little brother Noah has been my biggest influence. He’s a big reason why I stayed on the right path. The Kid wants to be just like me and I have a huge responsibility to lead by example.