NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Tristan Walker, WR, Fayetteville State 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: Tristan Walker
• Height: 5’9
• Weight: 165
• Position: WR
• College: Fayetteville State University
• Twitter: @14tw_
Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?
• Raleigh, NC. The biggest thing I like about Raleigh is the people embrace where we come from and try to use it as motivation to get out. We take it as a honor to be from Raleigh and feel like it has built us to conquer anything.
List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?
• S&C, Practice, and Film. You have to train your body to be able to go out and practice. From there, you go in the film room and make corrections on yourself and also gain advantage on your opponent.
What do you worry about, and why?
• I worry most about not being able to provide for my son. I do not want him to look at me as a failure or someone he can’t come to when he needs somebody.
Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?
• Last year I transferred to FSU and we made it to the conference championship and lost. I made an oath to myself that I was going to do everything in my power to keep that from happening again. So I worked hard all spring/summer trying to basically exhaust myself to be prepared. We made it back to the conference championship again this year and lost again. We failed but I believe I overcame the failure because I gave everything I had. I did not look at it this time as failure, just ran out of time.
What do your teammates say is your best quality?
• IQ. I learn fast, watch a lot of film, and pick up tendencies well. I normally can predict what type of defense the opponent is in pre-snap.
Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?
• Kevin Byard – MTSU – Tennessee Titans
What would your career be if you couldn’t play football?
• Director of Football Operations for a college or professional team.
Room, desk, and car – which do you clean first?
• Room. You have to keep your house in order, no matter what.
If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?
• Family member. I couldn’t live with the fact my family member did not make it over my decision. I have to be loyal to my family.
If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?
• I would be Lil Bow Wow in Like Mike. I always wanted to go to the league and get buckets.
Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?
• Having a child straight out of high school. I did not know what to do and at the time I was not in school or playing football. I was depressed and stayed in my room all the time. I overcame it with the help of my family and my son’s mom side of the family. I give them all the credit because I was in a bad place and their help, helped pull me out.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
• After prep school, I was offered a scholarship to a school and I committed. When my roommate did not commit to the school with me they did not honor my scholarship. I assumed I would be there in the spring but I was back home and it was embarrassing because everyone had the “told you so” mentality towards me, because I was back home, not in school, and not playing football. The next guy who had talent not doing anything with his life.
What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?
• My first TD.
What song best describes your work ethic?
• One Day – WallwayPac ft. Lil Baby
What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level?
• Mental Toughness. Being from where I am from and the things I’ve been through, I know no matter how bad things get no one is going to feel sorry for you. Everyday is a workday regardless and you have to pay your dues.
If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?
• That is tough. I wish I could bring everyone I lost back to be honest. It’s too many to just choose one.
If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it?
• RR Yams
Who is the most overrated player in the NFL?
• I am not in a position to answer that to be honest.
Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?
• Respect. Respect is the only validation from another human I want, not for anyone to like me. Thats how I was raised.
What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?
• Mike Vick. He was about to be one of the greatest to play QB in the league and I believe the jail time set him back. He was never the same after he got out.
Do you love to win, or hate to lose?
• I hate to lose more than I love to win.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?
• Gotta take two. My Grandfather & my son. My grandpa showed me how to be a man and be myself no matter how people feel. My son gives me a drive to always keep going and keep fighting because I know he is watching me. So when things get tough in his life he will know to fight and keep going.
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