NFL DraftProspect Interviews

NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Jamal Stovall, DB, University of St Francis (IL)

Jamal Stovall the defensive back from University Of St Francis (IL) is a ball-hawk with great ball skills

•    Name: Jamal Stovall

   •    Height: 6’0

   •    Weight: 193 lbs

   •    Position: DB

•    College: University Of St Francis (IL)

   •    Twitter: @JStov_1

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

   •     I am from Champaign, IL. The thing I love most about my hometown is that we have a lot of talent with little exposure. It’s hard for somebody in my town to make it big, so when it happens, it’s like our town won the super bowl. 

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

   •     Film Study, Conditioning/Practice, and then strength. In my eyes the game is 70% mental and 30% physical. If it was the other way around then every 5-star or top combine participant would be an MVP or 1st-team all pro. That’s not the case. The athletes who pay attention to detail and focus on the little things are the ones who become successful. 

What do you worry about, and why?

   •     I only worry about the things that I can control. There are a lot of outside distractions in the game of football. Media/Social Media, Coaches, Opponents, etc. As an athlete at the next level, I have to be able to tune out the surrounding noise and focus on how I can better myself and the team that I play for. 

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

   •     I’ve failed a lot of times in life. The main loss I think I took was finishing my high school career without a single offer. After putting in all of the training sessions, 7v7 tournaments, summer camps, Friday nights, and having nothing to fall back on was tough. It was never grades or off the field issues so it made me question myself as a player. I just continued to work hard over the last four years at 3 different schools and earned my respect from every program that I played for. Now I’m in the position I’ve always dreamed of being in.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

   •     My teammates would probably say that my best quality is being that spark plug. I have a lot of energy on the field. Whether it be me or my teammates that make a play I’m always the one running on the field early or jumping on them when they get to the sideline. It’s important to get your teammates involved because you can’t win in this game by yourself. 

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

   •     The best player I have played against would have to be Nick Ferrer (The University Of St Francis, IN -QB)

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

   •     My life would probably still involve sports in some kind of way. Sports changed my life and made it what it is today. That competitive spirit and ability to work with others has put me in situations that I don’t think I would be in. I want to be able to give back to kids in my hometown who don’t have the guidance from someone who has actually made it.

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

   •     I clean my room first. A clean room equals a clean mind. It’s hard to focus in a dirty 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. Family is everything to me. I would do anything for the people who bleed the same blood as me. 

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

   •     Chris Tucker on any Rush Hour. I love to have fun but get the job done at the end of the day. 

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

   •     My biggest adversity was transferring to Rochester Community College in Minnesota, living in negative degree weather, with no meal plan, and no coach for the entire off season. There were some long nights and early mornings on this journey but that entire year of 2016 made me who I am right now. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

   •     My most embarrassing moment in my life would have to be when I was in pre school. I fell off the jungle gym and face planted and knocked my two front teeth out in front of the entire class. 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

   •     My final play of my collegiate career. Zero seconds on the clock. QB scrambling to the pylon for the final score. We were up by 20 but I couldn’t end it on a bad note. Met him at the 2 yard line knocked him and the ball out of bounds. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

   •     Still Goin In- 2wo Glizzy 

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

   •     The ability to move onto the next play. Bad things are going to happen at the next level. Everybody is great. You have to be able to think “next play” and make the next one a great one. 

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

   •     It would be my big cousin easily. He had an impact on my life that nobody else had. He gave me tough love because he knew the potential that I had. He past away during my freshman year when I was a walk on and he would always tell me “I know you can go crazier than what you doing, I’m just waiting for you make it happen” it was always an “I’m proud of you” but “you’re better than this”. 

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

   •     I would name it “Da Stov Is Hot” . My nickname has been Stov since I was in middle school and people used this saying with me a lot whenever I did something good. 

Who is the most overrated player in the NFL? 

   •     I wouldn’t call anybody in the NFL overrated. People don’t make it to the NFL by accident. There are some who get more attention than others that don’t necessarily deserve it. 

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

   •     I would rather be respected. Being respected is something that comes from who I am. People like people who they can benefit from or who they are similar too. Respect comes from being the person who you really are and people appreciating you for who you are. 

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

   •     I would have to say Johnny Manziel. I loved his energy on the field and from the sounds of his teammates around him he was great off the field as well. I feel like the media got ahold of him and took the focus away from his skills and focused it on other things. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

   •     I love to win. I focus on winning because that lowers the chances of losing. I take my losses and turn them into wins. 

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

   •    This might be the toughest question but I would have to say my father. He has been through some tough times that people may not know about if you just met him today. That is what influences me because he remains humble even though he has overcame a lot of adversity. 

Damond Talbot

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

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