NFL DraftProspect Interviews

NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Markus Jones, DE, Angelo State

Markus Jones is a machine off the edge. He will make a mark in the NFL as an edge rusher and had a great week at the East/West Shrine Game.

 •       Name: Markus Jones
        •       Height: 6’3″
        •       Weight: 255
        •       Position: DE
        •       College: Angelo State
        •       Twitter: @Markusjones43

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?
        •         Fort Worth is an eclectic city with a lot of character. It’s been my home since childhood, even though I was born in Germany. There’s a lot more to Fort Worth than ten-gallon hats, cattle, and two-step dancing. I love the southern hospitality of the people and all of the opportunities. Ultimately, it’s the people that make my hometown amazing and a place you can always call home.

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?
        •        Film study, strength and conditioning, and practice. First, you need to understand your game. Second, you need to improve yourself. Finally, you have to repeat until you improve to a satisfactory level. 

What do you worry about, and why?
        •        Taking care of my family and loved ones. 

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?
        •        In fifth grade, I failed my standardized science test, even though I got an A in my class. I took that failure, which was devastating, as a challenge. In college, I went on to major in exercise science and minored in biology. After taking numerous anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and biology courses in college, most people wouldn’t have known I failed science in elementary school. It just goes to show that failures don’t define us in any way but can make us stronger in the long run.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?
        •        Relentlessness

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?
        •        Emmanuel Henry; He was an Offensive Tackle on my team who had a lot of talent. However, what separated him from the others, was that I practiced against him everyday. He knew my tendencies, and it was like fighting against yourself everyday.

What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? 
        •        Firefighter/EMT

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

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?
        •        I’d have to save one family member. It’s harder to justify philosophically, but my family means everything to me.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?
        •        I’d be Hercules from the Disney movie, because if you read the mythology, Hercules was not the best. In the Disney movie, Hercules has everything he needs to be a hero. When he loses it all, be still makes a comeback—and he found a wife in the process.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?
        •        There’s no single defining moment. I try not to rank my difficulties in a hierarchy, because each one in a way has made me who I am.

What is your most embarrassing moment?
        •        I had a sudden moment of inspiration during a dance at a wedding and showed off my best Will Smith imitation on the dance floor. I’d gone to the wedding with a teammate who wanted company. He never invited me to another wedding.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?
        •        So, I was actually playing offense… It was my redshirt freshman year on field goal. We wanted to run a fake field goal. I caught the ball on my defender’s back and didn’t know what to do since I’d never gotten the ball. I realized I scored two points!

What song best describes your work ethic?
        •        Don’t Hold Back by The Sleeping

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

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?
        •        I’d bring my grandfather back, Leo Kriener, on my wedding day (and so he could see me in the NFL).

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 
        •        The Boom Boom Room.

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 
        •        Cole Beasley because he gets the job done even if he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?
        •        I’d want to be respected. The feeling of “liking” someone comes and goes. Respect lasts a lot longer and is a reflection on one’s character.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?
        •        Tiger Woods. A lot of people look up to him for his amazing accomplishments. He didn’t deserve a lot of the backlash he received. As a society, we need to do a better job of helping people get back on their feet after struggles and crises, especially with addiction.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?
        •        Hate to lose. Even when I win, I focus mostly on my mistakes and correcting them. I’m most satisfied when I know I can be proud of my performance in a game, even if that means assisting others more than making plays myself, rather than just winning overall.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?
        •       Jesus Christ, because as a Christian, I always look to his example for guidance in how to live my life. That example reminds me to always look out for others. It makes me a better teammate and better team player.

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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