NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Marcus Johnson, LB, Upper Iowa University

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: Marcus Johnson

• Height: 6’0

• Weight: 230

• Position: MLB/OLB

• College: Upper Iowa University

• Twitter: Checkmate_954

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

• Im from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida I love the beaches and weather best place to put in work and vacation.  

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

• Film Study: Knowing your opponents game plans, tactics and techniques like the back of your hand will give you the edge when its game time. 

  Practice: Repetition is key so you can familiarize yourself with what you will be seeing come game time and repetition will help minimize mistakes so you can execute at a high level.

Strength and Conditioning: Strength and Conditioning is something that is needed in football at all times but knowing the game and having a great mind for football you do not need to be the freakiest guy on the field to be the most effective.

What do you worry about, and why?

I don’t worry I can only control what I can control and leave the rest in gods hands and let him work. 

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

• I started off rough in a course in my major but I ended up passing the course with an A with putting in extra hours towards studying.  

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  They would say I’m determined because I won’t stop until I reach my goal.  

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

• Marquis Brown   

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

• Sports Psychologist   

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

• Room have to make sure where you lay your head at is clean at all times.  

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

• Family first I would never turn my back on my family.  

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

• Bugs Bunny because I like putting smiles on people faces and creating a positive environment.  

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

• My biggest adversity in life would be going through the Juco process leaving home for the first time not knowing what was going to happen basically taking a chance on myself and I overcame that by having a great season going All-Conference and landing a scholarship to continue playing football. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• Probably falling down the steps going to the cafeteria to eat at school 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• It would be making a game-winning sack and a forced fumble vs Cerritos to help push us to a bowl game in which we won in Juco  

What song best describes your work ethic?

• We Outchea x Ace Hood ft. Lil Wayne  

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

• I’m goal orientated I work hard to reach each goal I set and once I reach it I make a goal to crush my previous one.  

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

• The bro Herbert Johnson he was like an Icon to the community everyone loved him he was the definition of hard work and good vibes.

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

• Stick and Move Lounge

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL? 

• If your’e in the league you can’t be overrated you doing something the GMs and coaches like.  

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Respected for sure it goes further then being liked.   

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

• Everyone has their own issues to deal with I just wish them the best. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• Hate to lose it leaves a sick feeling in your stomach. 

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

My mom and I will say this every time growing up witnessing what my mother went through only pushes me to be a better person and to help make my moms life a lot easier she deserves it I owe her everything.