NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Jontrell Rocquemore, S, Utah State

 •       Name: Jontrell Rocquemore
        •       Height: 6’1″
        •       Weight: 210
        •       Position: Safety
        •       College: Utah State Twitter: _Jrocq3

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?
        •        I was born in Chicago, Illinois and mainly raised in Mckinney, Texas. My hometown in Chicago is where 90% of my family lives, so when I get the chance to go back it’s always a great feeling to see family I don’t get to see to often. In Mckinney, its where I “grew up”. I like to see the growth in the city and how much things are changing for the better. Also my immediate family and close friends all still lives there.

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?
        •        I would never be able to list these three in order because each thing complements the other. To be an elite football player, you need to know your opponent as well as learn from your past mistakes when it comes to watching film. You also need to take great care of your body and train physically and mentally to make sure you’re at your peak to perform. Lastly, practice is where you simulate game like situations, you have to mentally and physically prepare yourself to practice as if you’re playing a game. If you choose to priorities one over the other then I think you’re cheating yourself out of being elite.

What do you worry about, and why?
        •        I worry about not living up to my potential. I’m blessed with an amazing support system and amazing opportunities I never would have dreamed of when I was a kid. There have been multiple doors that has opened up for me throughout my life and I just want to make the most out of every opportunity that comes my way.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?
        •        My redshirt Sophomore year I fractured my tibia on the football field. When I recovered and was finally cleared to return to the field, I was placed with the three’s on the depth chart. From finally capturing a starting role before the injury, to being back at the bottom after the injury took a toll on me. I was frustrated, disappointed, confused, and having an internal battle in my head to continue to be the worker that I am, or to feel defeated and accept a role that was placed upon me. At that moment I would say I failed at being who I am. I have never been the “superstar” that always got the attention and praise for being a great football player. Instead I was someone who worked for every bit of what I have. Putting in extra work,more film, more treatment, really trying to perfect my personal craft is what has lead me to the position that I am in now. Breaking my leg was the best worst thing that could’ve happened to me, but it has taught me the most valuable lesson in life, and that is to believe in myself when the outside world won’t. It taught me to trust in the process and appreciate the grind. I had to build on who I was as a football player and as a man and I wouldn’t change a thing.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?
        •        Consistency. I once was told that the best compliment someone can give you is that you show up to work the same man every single day. To me, that means regardless of the situation, I will put my best effort into whatever i’m doing. I pride myself in having a great attitude, great work ethic, and to be who I am every single day.

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?
        •        I’ve had the privilege to play with and against great players at my time at Utah State. The best player I would say that played against would be a tie between Alexander Mattison and Brett Rypien, both from Boise State.

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? 
        •        My ultimate goal outside of football is to become a federal judge. I’m not too picky on what level I will end up on, but to one day sit on the Supreme Court would be a dream for me.

Room, desk, and car – which do you clean first?
        •        Room, Desk, then Car in that order. If your house (room) isn’t clean first and foremost then it makes it harder to clean anything else in my opinion.

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?
        •        I honestly would try my best to save everyone. consciously, I would lean on trying to save the family member because there’s more attachment to that person than strangers, but that doesn’t mean that their lives are less valued.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?
        •        I’d be Denzel Washington from Training Day. Even though he was the bad guy in the movie, it was some of his best acting and i’d love to be the villain in a movie.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?
        •        The biggest adversity in my life would be when I fractured my leg in the 2016 season. It was the toughest challenge i’ve dealt with in my life because as much as it was a battle physically, it was definitely a mental battle as well. Physically, I had never broken a bone before so it was new dealing with the pain, rehab, and even adjusting once I was cleared to play. Mentally, it took a bigger toll on me because it was a fight within myself everyday to battle the depression and negative thoughts that came with it. The way I had to overcome this was to remember who I was. I had to remember that I was just as strong mentally than I was physically. I had to learn how to cope positively and really lean on the support system that I had. Once I accepted what had happened, it allowed me to grow and see that I could adapt to anything life had to throw at me. I was able to conquer the hardship and turn this negative event into something positive.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
        •        I try to avoid embarrassing moments at all cost, but the most embarrassed I’ve been was when I first cut my hair bald. I had to embrace it and tackle it head on, pun intended.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?
        •        The most memorable play was my first collegiate touchdown. We were playing the University of Washington and I returned a 97-yard fumble recovery. It was the most memorable play to me because it was very early in my career and I just wanted to prove to myself and my teammates that I was a playmaker. It was the moment that really not only solidified that I could play at the D1 level, but also that I was going to make plays.

What song best describes your work ethic?
        •        Don’t Sweat the Technique by Eric. B & Rakim

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level? 
        •        The ability to learn. You never are too old to learn something in life and the more you learn the more you can be prepared for any situation.

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?• Martin Luther King Jr. He is considered one of the most influential people in history and I would love to just sit and have a conversation about who he is and what was his personal moment that sparked his movement .

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 
        •        On the Rocq’s

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 
        •        Kyler Fackrell and Jalen Davis. I might be a little bias because I played with both of them, but they are the future of the NFL

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?
        •        I would rather be respected. Being liked is a fad and comes and goes in life. To be respected means you’ve worked hard to earned it. People don’t typically give their respect to just anyone, so if I have to put in the time and effort to gain that respect then that’s what I’ll do.

 What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?
        •        All of them and none of them. If i’m being honest, I don’t have to much sympathy for guys who do the wrong things off the field. In life everything matters, even the little thing. It makes me sad hearing about guys losing opportunities to play because of off the field-issues, but at the end of the day you have to protect the ultimate goal. If that means having a change in lifestyle that may be different than what you’re use to doing, then so be it. What you do off the field is just as important as what you do on the field, it all goes together.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?
        •        I love to win. Winning to me is a reflection of all the hard work that was put in before the game even started. With that being said, I don’t necessarily “hate” losing. There’s a lot of growth and learning that comes from losing that will allow you to better perfect your craft for the next game. When it comes down to it, I would choose winning over losing any day.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?
        •       My dad has been the biggest influence in my life. Growing up in Chicago was rough and just watching how he would always find work to provide for our family makes me want to be a man like him. He never complained, never asked for much, and never quit on our family and I am eternally grateful to have such a strong impactful role model in my life.