NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Faustino Saucedo, QB, West Virginia State University

•       Name: Faustino Saucedo
        •       Height: 6’3
        •       Weight: 225
        •       Position: QB
        •       College: West Virginia State University
        •       Twitter: @_Fonz__

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

• I currently reside and was raised in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which is a small unknown town next to the Outerbridge Crossing heading into Staten Island. The things I love most about my town is the support I was given while I was in school. I’ve been trying to make a name for myself in a town full of minorities that don’t really have nothing to give, except for genuine support and love. When I come into town, a lot of people know each other and there’s a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. Everytime we all come together it’s always happiness and making sure we have each others backs.

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

•  Film study, practice, then strength and conditioning is personally my order of importance and prioritization, although all are very important to implement. We need to know and study our opponents well, so we need to be able to see what plays we can run against them — being able to depict their strengths and weaknesses is essential. This way, we can gain a visual representation of how they will be playing against us. Practice is next on our list of importance because we will all need to be on the same page on what we need to do and how to attack or defend. We cannot play as a team if we don’t practice as a team. The faster we line up and the faster we run our plays, the better we are against anyone. Strength and conditioning follow because this is a sport that is physically demanding, so we need to build our manpower.

What do you worry about, and why?

•   I worry that I would not get the opportunity I need to achieve greatness. All I want to do in this life is inspire and make my family proud. I want to be an example and give people the courage to follow their dreams, so not being able to do that in this lifetime is something that worries me.      

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

• I failed many things in my life the way I have overcame every obstacle. It’s because I don’t give up — I keep fighting and I find a way to get it done. Persistence is key and giving up is not an option. I take failure and mold into something I can build and learn from. The key is to make a learning experience out of it and make something something out of it; don’t let it make something out of you.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•    My teammates would say my best quality would be that I can quickly pick up on things in the sense that I am a fast learner. I know how to adapt to a situation, even if the situation is unfavorable.    

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

• I would say Rasul Dauglas would be one of the best players I played against in college when I played him when he was in junior college. The quickness and how he can come of the break was pretty cool to watch i just hated going up against it. But i love a challenge. Iron sharpens iron.

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

• Although football is my dream and my ultimate goal, if I couldn’t pursue football for whatever reason, I would be pursuing a career working for the federal government.

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

•  First, I would clean my room. Then, it would be my car, with my desk last. Everything starts at home, and I feel as though if you can keep your room clean, the house clean, then have your car clean, then everything else will come into place. You start with your personal space where you are much of the time, your room, and then move to your secondary space, your car, and then the desk would follow.

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

• I love my family members very much so I would save one family member because of how supportive they have been to me throughout my life. However, if it was a natural disaster and the world would end I would save three strangers so that humankind would still live.

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

• I would be Dwane Jhonson because he doesn’t stop working to be the best at what he does. He will take any challenge and not only do it, but he’ll do it to the best of his ability.

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

• I would say my freshman year of college was my biggest adversity. I was 5 hours away from home for the first time and I didn’t know what to expect being a college athlete since I am a first generation student — the first in my family to ever do it. I was home sick and to be honest, I wasn’t happy. I hated it and had a lot of doubt in myself; I didn’t think I could do it. I took a semester off and I was working as a waiter at a nearby Hilton hotel from 6 AM to 3 PM. I told myself after thinking about it multiple times that this wasn’t for me and that I was meant to go to school, get an education, and play the game that I love to play. That semester off really made me see the bigger picture and pushed me to have a self-evaluation to get my head back in the game.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  My most embarrassing moment would be when I worked at the Hilton hotel. I was working a high school prom that day and I was the food runner. I had taken all the food on a tray and one was so filled up that it was unbalanced and I thought I had it. Well, I didn’t have it. I was walking in with it and while everyone was sitting in their seats, I dropped the whole tray in front of about 500 high-schoolers.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• The most memorable play of my collegiate career would be my first college touchdown pass at dean college. It was a perfect route by my WR and I had to place it perfectly between two defenders.

What song best describes your work ethic?

•  Never Fold by Rich Homie Quan       

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

•  You have to be mentally strong because things will not always go your way. You just have to do your part, belief, and trust the process.

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

• I would say it would be my uncle Chuy. He was a great inspiration and a hard working man, and another moment with him is something that I will really cherish.     

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

•  I would name my dance club Mi Gente

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL? 

•     I don’t think that there are any overrated players in the NFL. They are playing the game they love to play and getting paid for it. Everyone has their own skill set that they excel at.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would want someone to respect me for who I am and what I love to do. A lot of people that are liked aren’t respected and I think that in our world today,if you are respected, you will go far in life. You’re never going to please everyone and not everyone is going to like you, but if they respect you, you must be doing something right.

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

• Colin Kaepernick was a player who had his career derailed by off-field issues. I feel the most for him because he was kneeling for something he highly believed in, and I feel like he had the right to protest or to be heard instead of being silenced. Everyone heard him and there has been a huge commotion from it to the point where his career was completely derailed over something he was passionate about.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I would say I hate to lose, but it makes the person I am, a competitor, and I continue to compete and get better from it because I learn from every mistake I have made.  Everyone loves to win, as do I. I just think that losing makes you realize who you really are and what you’re really about.

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

• God for sure would be one of the biggest influences in my life. Because of Him, I wouldn’t be here today. I also would say another big influence has been my parents —  being who they are and how they have raised me. They’ve sacrificed so much for me so I could do what I love to do and have an education. They have made it possible for me to have a better future.