NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Tyler Swart, QB, Missouri University of Science and Technology

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: Tyler Swart
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 260lbs
• Position: Quarterback
• College: Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Twitter: @TylerSwart

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

• I live in Galveston, Texas which is about 45 minutes south of Houston. I love being right on the water and being able to fish whenever I want to

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

• Film Study, Practice, Strength and Conditioning. As a Quarterback, I believe that film is the key to success because understanding what is most likely going to happen before every single play will help you tremendously. Next is practice, because practicing against specific coverages and looks helps to prepare you for the actual games. While strength and conditioning is still important, I put it at number 3 because as a Quarterback it is more mental than it is physical

What do you worry about, and why?

• I worry about class deadlines and exams because Engineering has proven to be very difficult while balancing with football. I need to be able to time management in order to succeed in the classroom and on the field.

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

• I once failed a Finite Element Analysis Midterm Exam with a 68. When I received the grade, I went to my professor’s office for hours to discuss what exactly I did wrong. Then I went home and began practicing those questions I did incorrectly on my midterm. I knew that if I took a day to learn those concepts, I would be better off for the rest of the semester as well as for the Final Exam later in the semester.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• I believe my teammates would say that my best quality is leadership

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

• The best player I played against in college is DE Lucky Barr from McKendree University, who ended up becoming the all-time career leader in sacks in NCAA history. His pass rush was relentless, and he was one of those players that you must find before each and every snap.

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

• I will be graduating in December with a Bachelor’s in Petroleum Engineering and a minor in Geology. I would imagine that I would be working for a major oil and gas company doing Well Stimulation or Drilling

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

• I would clean my Truck first because not only do I use it for my transportation, I also see it as my first impression

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

• In the event of a disaster I would do my best to save everyone that I could but, in this case, I would take priority to save my one family member because family comes first

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

• I would like to be Gerard Butler from the movie Olympus Has Fallen because he is the star of the movie that becomes the hero in the end

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

• The biggest adversity I had to overcome was when I and my parents made the difficult decision to move to Texas during my sophomore year of high school. I had to earn the starting quarterback spot, make new friends, and adjust to a whole new environment

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• My most embarrassing moment was in the 7^th grade returning to school mid-day after having my braces put on at the orthodontist

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• The most memorable play from my collegiate career was my senior year against the University of Indianapolis when we were at our own 1-yard line. Under pressure, I threw a post route to my double covered slot receiver Braxton Graham for a 50-yard completion to get us out of a tough situation

What song best describes your work ethic?

• The song, This Fire Burns by Killswitch Engage describes my work ethic

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

• I believe that the most important trait that will help me succeed at the next level is my ability to read defenses very quickly and identify coverages due to alignment and then eliminate things pre-snap

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

• I would bring back my grandfather, I never met my grandfather, but I would love the opportunity to meet him and to sit down and discuss his life

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

• I would name my dance club The Safe Room

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL?

• The most overrated player in the NFL is Dak Prescott

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would much rather be respected than liked because it shows that I am a person of value to my teammates

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

• I don’t feel for players who have had their careers derailed by off-field issues because they are avoidable and when getting an opportunity in NFL you should do everything in your power to remain in the NFL

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I love to win, it is the best feeling in the world

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

• The biggest influence in my life has been my mother. She is the one that has taught me to be a gentleman, to be organized and to plan ahead to make sure I am presenting myself in the best way possible because “you never know who is watching you.”