NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: John Jackson Jr., DT, Southern Oregon University

• Name: John Jackson Jr.
• Height: 6’2
• Weight: 285
• Position: DT
• College: Southern Oregon University
• Twitter: @JohnJacksonJr93

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

• My hometown is Tucson, Arizona and what I love the most about it is that my family and friends are there. And the restaurant “Eegees”

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

• I would list film study first because play recognition and being familiar with what you are seeing on the field is half the battle. Second would be practical because you need to be able to decipher what you are seeing in real time speed. Strength and Conditioning would be third because you need to develop your strength and speed in order to be the best.

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry about my family. They all work so hard at what they do and I just want to be able to take the stress and whatever they are going through off their shoulders

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

• I was taking an accounting class and didn’t do too hot on the midterm because I wasn’t preparing the correct way for the class. In order to overcome the failure, I met with an accounting tutor 2 times a week and finished the class with a B.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• My teammates have told me that they like my Football IQ and passion for the game.

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

• The best player I have played against in college would have to be Chase Roullier or Randin Crecelius

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

• If I couldn’t play football I would pursue a career in Marketing. Preferably for Nike’s US Football.

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

• Room because it’s where I start my day.

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

• I would do everything in my power to make sure that I could save everyone.

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

• I would be Tony Stark/ Ironman because everything he has he either earned as a product of his mind or he built. And that’s really cool to me.

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

• The biggest adversity in my life that I had to overcome was needing to transfer before my Senior season. And how I overcame it was just keeping my head down and grinding. Making sure I never stopped working no matter what.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• My freshman year of high school I was playing TE and a ball was tipped at the L.O.S and bounced off of my face mask. The newspaper came out the next day with a picture of the ball looking like it was lodged in my face mask, on the cover of the high school sports section.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• The memorable play of my career is when we played Montana tech and a tipped a pass to myself and got the first interception of my career.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Hard in the paint- Waka Flocka Flame

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

• My most important trait that will help me succeed at the next level is my football IQ.

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

• I would bring back Reggie White so he can teach me the intricacies of his pass rush.

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

• Club Drip

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL?

• If they get the opportunity to dress on Sundays then they aren’t overrated.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected because you cannot control whether everyone personally likes you but you can control if they respect how you work and how you play.

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

• Although his career wasn’t completely derailed and he just fell in the draft I feel for La’el Collins because his situation had nothing to do with him, just his ex-girlfriend

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I hate to lose

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

• My parents because they are the poster people for resilience and not giving up until the achieve whatever it is that they have their mind set on.