NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Matt Kaskey, OT, Dartmouth College

•            Name: Matt Kaskey

              •            Height: 6’7”

              •            Weight: 325

              •            Position: Left Tackle

              •            College: Dartmouth College

              •            Twitter: @mattkaskey78

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

              • I grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, which is just north of Chicago. I love the neighborhood I grew up in. There were a few families on my street that my siblings and I would play with every day after school and on the weekends. We would play backyard football, basketball, basically anything you could imagine. That’s where I developed my love for competition and sports.

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

              • Film Study: if you don’t know what you’re doing your strength and speed doesn’t help you

                  Strength and Conditioning: Especially at offensive line, you have to be able to play every offensive snap without getting blown back or thrown off a block.

                 Practice: I hate ranking this last because it is still incredibly important. You need to practice to keep your technique and mind sharp. Without it you are not able to react as well in games.

What do you worry about, and why?

              • I worry about being overlooked due to my level of competition.

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

              • Early in my college career I failed to focus on off the field issues like stretching, nutrition, and sleep. This led to decreased performance on the field and in the weight room. I reacted by reading more about the effects of nutrition, sleep, and stretching on athletic performance, and then adjusting my habits to maximize my potential. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

              • Communication. Whether on the field, in the weight room, or in the locker room, getting everyone one the same page and in a positive mindset is something I do well.

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

              • Folarin Orimolade. He was an outside linebacker that graduated two years ago. Though I never played against him in game, it was always fun trying to get the best of him

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

              • I would go into management consulting.

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

              • Room, it calms me down to go home and wake up to a clean, neat room.

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

              • One family member. It is selfish of me, but my family has done so much for me that I couldn’t turn my back on them in that situation. Loyalty is essential to me.

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

              • Will Hunting. Smartest guy ever, good group of friends, and he’s a pretty good looking guy.

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

              • Academically adjusting to Dartmouth was very difficult. You come in thinking it will be just like high school where you can succeed without doing too much work, but the first few weeks show you how wrong that is. I had to reevaluate my study habits and time management skills in order to do well. It took a while but I gre a lot from it.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

              • The first time my little brother beat me in FIFA. I think about that every time I’m lying in my bed at night.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

              • The last play of my senior year. The entire offensive line and a few other guys all jumped in a pile of snow after we scored a touchdown. I’ll remember that forever.

What song best describes your work ethic?

              • Split – Tiesto

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

              • Preparation.   

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

              • This is a tough one. There are a lot of people I can think of. I have to go with Ernest Hemmingway. Not only would he have very interesting things to say, but it seems like he would be a fun guy to hang around.

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

              • The Pit.

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL? 

              •  I’d rather not speak about other players.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

              • Obviously both, but if forced to choose only one I would rather be liked because respect through fear is empty.

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

              • Again, I’d rather not speak about other players.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

              • Love to win.

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

              • My parents. They raised me to be the man that I am today and I appreciate all the effort the put into my development. Without them I wouldn’t be in this position and I hope to be like them some day.