NFL DraftProspect Interviews

NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Thomas Wright, QB, SUNY Maritime

SUNY Maritime QB Thomas Wright recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds for this amazing interview

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 readers pleasure.  We hope you enjoy this interview, with another potential NFL draft prospect. 

  • Name: Thomas Wright
  • Height: 6’0
  • Weight: 215
  • Position: Quarterback
  • College: SUNY Maritime 
  • Twitter: @twright3411

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

  • Wantagh , New York! Best place in the world. Love my friends and the people I grew up with. All my boys are a bunch of competitors who have helped push me into the athlete i am today.

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

  • I believe Film Study comes first, followed by conditioning and practice, and then strength. If you watch enough film on yourself and the opponent, you fix errors you may have made and also see their tendencies. Especially as a QB Film Study prepares you for the Game, no pressure when you are prepared properly. Practice how you play because you will play how you practice. Do not create bad habits at Practice. Lastly, Make sure you get after it in the weight room because strength is very important and it definitely translates to the field.

What do you worry about, and why?

  • I try not to worry about much. I worry about my family every once in awhile. If you have faith and trust in God, and you try your hardest to make the best decisions you can in your everyday life, everything will work itself out. 

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

  • The position switch to quarterback was not smooth. I started playing quarterback in ninth grade , After my dad and coaches told me that would be in my best interest. I didn’t see my first start at quarterback until my sophomore year of college. All the hard work paid off but I definitely went through some adversity, just kept my faith and kept working.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

  • My strong arm and the ability to extend plays / escape the pocket with my eyes down field.

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

  • Going to have to say the defense from Husson U. Got after it against those guys three years straight. Jean Gabriel , Quon Soyini and Elvin Suazo. All 3 of those guys were solid ball players.

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

  • If it wasn’t a career path having something to do with my major, Global Business, I would want to Coach. This game has taught me a lot when it comes to things like Work ethic, accountability, character, respect, enthusiasm. The game also makes sense to me it’s logical, I get numbers and leverage and I feel like i can teach it in a simple way. I feel eventually, i could help young kids grow not only in football, but in life.

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

  • Car for sure. 

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

  • Save the family member first, try to save as many as possible after that. 

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

  • Mike Lowry (Will Smith) Bad Boys 2, coolest dude ever and always gets the job done in some heroic way.

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

  • Almost being Dis-enrolled from school my freshman year. A lot of my focus was on football and trying to get that starting job and I was slacking in the classroom. Transferring in from a Junior College like NCC transitioning to SUNY Maritime was a big difference. Maritime showed me real quick that this is not the place to be slacking with school work. Following that semester i just used my resources around me, the learning center, library, and team study halls to get work done with my teammates. Each semester got better and better.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

  • Probably my first college start ever. We were down 28-14 with 6:20 left on the clock. Came back with some big plays and pulled off the Overtime win in Maine 35-28.

What song best describes your work ethic?

  • No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper.

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

  • Mindset. I have the confidence in myself and truly believe I have what it takes to play at the next level. I can be polished, there is definitely room for improvement and I am also realistic but what some athletes need to understand is that every successful person in this world has “Jumped” at some point taking a leap towards their dreams. You have to “JUMP” and take a chance at some point along the line. You cant kind of sort of want it, either go after it Fully or hang the cleats up. And if you could support that mentality with Hard Work, there’s no limit where you can take it.

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

  • I’d probably say one of my Grandfathers , just because i never met any of them.

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

  • Haha I’d probably use my last name in a clever way, something like “The Wright Spot”

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL? 

  • If you made it to the NFL, you’re amongst the top football players on Earth so there really is no overrated. 

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

  • Respected, you don’t have to like me but i do feel i have good morals, i look out for other people and I’m a hard worker. Its one thing to not like someone but no one likes being disrespected.

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

  • Terrell Owens, the guy is top three wide receivers of all time and it took him more than two times to get into the Hall of Fame. Regardless of any off the field issues, the guy was unstoppable when he was on the field and should’ve been a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose? 

  • Absolutely Hate to lost.

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

  • I would have to say my parents. My dad for always supporting me and my dreams to play professionally. He hasn’t missed a snap since i’ve been playing. His lesson to me was always , Don’t make the same mistakes he did growing up and i feel he’s done a great job holding me to that. My mom for making everything possible and teaching me self confidence and how to visualize what your about to do before you do it.

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

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