NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Andrew Reinkemeyer, TE, University of South Alabama

    •   Name: Andrew Reinkemeyer

    •   Height: 6’4”

    •   Weight: 240

    •   Position: TE

    •   College: South Alabama

   •    Twitter: @A_Reink16

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

    •  Iam from Overland Park Kansas, what I love most about it is the people. I havemet some of the best people to be around here and it is such a great communityto be a part of. I am truly grateful to have grown up here.    

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

   • Film study comes first, you must understand what you are trying to accomplish, as a team and individually, before you go out there and put it all together. Whether it is game planning, studying the playbook, or watching film of yourself this is the time to know your job so when you get out on the field you can get it done.

    • Practice comes next, after you are donewatching the film you have to run the live reps in practice to polisheverything up. Running all the plays and seeing all the different looks foreach formation so nothing can surprise you on gameday. For me practice and filmgo hand in hand, in film you visualize what you need to do and at practice youdo it.

    • Strength and Conditioning comes after,being big and strong is important and can help you compete at a high level aswell as conditioning, so you don’t get tired. What it really comes down to ismaking plays and doing your job, benching 300lbs and squatting 500lbs will onlyhelp you so much if you don’t know your job or where to line up. Beingphysically ready for the demand 4 quarters of football puts on your body isimportant so you need to prepare accordingly.        

What do you worry about, andwhy?

   • My family, I pray that my Mom, Dad, and Brother stay healthy, happy, and are able to prosper every night I do the same for extended family and friends as well. I just hope they are living worry-free lives. I also worry about the future, especially right now because everything is so up in the air. I’m putting in all this work to try and get ready for my Pro Day and I intend to go out there and leave no doubt that I deserve a chance to play in the NFL, but that isn’t up to me. That’s why I control what I can control at letting the rest work itself out. 

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

   • My first year of college I got redshirted after I hurt my ankle and I was pretty upset about it because I thought I was good enough to make the team. It was tough being redshirted at a Junior College, and I struggled to find the passion for the game because it is not very glamorous being at a JUCO and on top of that I wouldn’t get to play any real ball and would only practice. But I buckled down and committed myself 100% I got healthy quick, gained 20lbs and was in the best shape of my life going into my redshirt freshman season and became the starting Tight End.     

What do your teammates say isyour best quality?

    • Consistency, I could have something goingon in my life that day or whatever it may be, but when I show up to thefieldhouse, I’m always the same. When it’s time for film and practice I amlocked in and ready to go. They can always expect my best effort.   

Who is the best player you haveever played against in college?

    • Jaylon Ferguson the D-end from LA Tech. Ihad my hands full blocking him that game.   

What would your career be ifyou couldn’t play football?

    • If I couldn’t play football, I would havefocused a lot more on music, I think. I play the drums as a hobby right now,but I would really wish I took lessons growing up and started at a young age.  

Room, desk, and car – which doyou clean first?

    • Room, car, then desk. Room’s got to beclean because I am in there a good amount and I hate having it cluttered. Haveto have a clean car so you don’t look messy when it’s your turn to drive. Thedesk I mostly just organize and make it look neat never completely clean thatoff.    

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

    •  I’dhave to save the family member as hard as the question is. I’m just imaginingif that was my mom, dad, or brother I’m not sure what I would do without them.   

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

    •  Probablyhave to be Thor, dudes a beast.   

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

    •  I’vetorn both of my Achilles over the years and coming back from one was tough butthen doing it again was the true test. It was really my love for the game andtrying to better myself that allowed me to get to the point where I am healthynow.   

What is your most embarrassingmoment?

   • When I first got to South, we had a new player talent show. Other Tight ends and myself planned to go up and sing a song but kept switching it back and forth between two songs. Along with not really bothering to learn either song we were pretty unprepared and went up and flopped it was pretty bad.    

What was the most memorableplay of your collegiate career?

    • My first college touchdown, it was alsomy career long and it came from my roommate and I think it was his firstcollege touchdown too, so it was a special moment.     

What song best describes yourwork ethic?

    • I’m not sure, Jet Fuel by Mac Miller. It hasa line in it where it says “come down when I run out of jet fuel, but I neverrun out of jet fuel” I’ve got a high motor and I always have something extra togive even when I am tired.     

What is the most importanttrait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the nextlevel?

    • I am coachable, I am always trying toperfect my craft and the coaches at the next level have way more knowledge thanme so I think that willingness to learn will go a long way.   

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

    • Kurt Cobain so Nirvana could get backtogether and play a concert that I could go to.  

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

    • I probably just wouldn’t open a dance clubhonestly.  

Who is the most underratedplayer in the NFL?

    • I’d have to go with Julian Edelman, Iknow he just one super bowl MVP and all but immediately after the super bowlanalysts just jumped on him and said he wasn’t a hall of fame wide receiver.This was after he had one of the most productive postseasons catching the ballI’ve ever seen. He is clutch and has proved that and people still doubt him.    

Would you rather be liked orrespected, and why?

    • Respected for sure people liking you iscool and what not but if you don’t have their respect you don’t really haveanything.  

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

    • Josh Gordon, he is an incredible athlete,but he just really hasn’t found a way to manage his off the field issues. I’mnot sure how much help he is getting but it doesn’t seem like much and that’sreally unfortunate.    

Do you love to win, or hate tolose?

    • I hate to lose, there is nothing likethat winning feeling but when you lose it can be devastating. You learn a lotmore from that lose too and hopefully you can just use it as fuel to never feelthat pain of defeat again.    

Who has been the biggest influenceon your life and explain why?

  •  Mymom and dad they have supported me in every decision I have made and gave meadvice on how to live my life that has made me who I am today. I wouldn’t behere without them and I wouldn’t be who I am without them.