NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Jamaal Darden, CB, North Carolina A&T

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: Jamaal Darden

• Height: 5110

• Weight: 205

• Position: DB

• College: North Carolina A&T State University

• Twitter: @Strapfoo2

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

• I come from a very small town in NC called Raeford. We have one High School and just built a Walmart not too long ago. It is real country out there you still see people riding horses to get places they need to go, but that is what I love about it the most. I do not know why i just love the feeling of being in the country

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

• Film Study first because knowing your opponent is everything it is like you have a head start because you know what they are going to do before they do it. Practice helps you learn your opponent even better and practice also gives you chances to compete and show what you can do on the field. Strength and Conditioning I would say be last out of these three because you do not have to be the strongest, fastest, or best conditioned to be great at this game

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

 • My teammates would say my best quality is understanding the playbook so well, when I came in as a freshman I learned the playbook like the back of my hand and that is what help me play earlier than some most.

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

• The best player I would have to sat is Tarik Cohen even though he was on my team he still did amazing things at practice that made you think can anybody stop this man?

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

• I would most like be a Vet if I could not play football. My love for animals came from my hometown being so country and having a lot of farms.

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

• Well my desk is never dirty because I do not put anything there but my computer, always have to keep a clean room before anything that was my mom pet peeve growing up so it is mine too. Last would be my car just because I am not in it as much as my bedroom.

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

•  I never thought about this but if I could I would save everybody if I had to choose than it would be family member because family is everything.

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

•  I would be anything Denzel Washington plays just because he is the best

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

• Probably tearing my labrum I never had to sit out for an injury before, but I just worked hard in rehab so I could get back on the field

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• My most memorable moment was the game-winning interception against ECU who we were picked to lose against because they are an FBS and we are FCS

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

• I would say knowledge of understanding the game and understanding my role in the defense.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would definitely would rather be respected because it hard to gain a person respect it is for people to like you and not respect you.

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

•My biggest influence is my parents they taught me how to be a man and how to work hard I do not know where I would be without my loving parents.