NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Drew Desjarlais, OL, University of Windsor

•       Name: Drew Desjarlais

       • Height: 6’3”

       • Weight: 307

       • Position: OL

       • College: University of Windsor

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

       • Belle River is a small suburb of Windsor, Ontario. What I love most about it is the community, it was a great environment to be raised in.

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

       • Practice comes first due to the importance of building a strong unit as a team, as well as the fine tuning of positional techniques. Strength and conditioning comes second. It is the base of your physical abilities and allows you to perform on the field at your highest level. Third, although still very important, is film study. Studying your own film in order to improve yourself and studying your opponents to understand their strengths weaknesses and schemes is very important to all aspects of game play.

What do you worry about, and why?

       • What I worry about most is the health and well-being of my family and closest friends. They are all a very influential part of my life and I always like to keep their best interests in mind.

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

       • My 2018 East-West Bowl was, in my eyes, considered my biggest failure. I was injured on the first day and was forced to sit out of that game as well as the first half of my season. The recovery process was strenuous but taking the appropriate measures to get back to being 100% ended up being a great accomplishment.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

       • My run blocking ability and my explosive first-step.

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

       • Kwaku Boateng.

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

       • Law enforcement.

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

       • My room. Having a decluttered room helps keep my mind clear when starting or finishing a day.

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

       • I would save my family member as they have done everything they can to provide me with the best life possible.

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

       • Rocky Balboa. The Rocky movies were a huge inspiration of mine growing up. I would be Rocky because he is the perfect demonstration of the values of hard work, determination, and perseverance.

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

       • Overcoming my injury following the East-West Bowl was a huge obstacle to overcome. Through plenty of rehab and perseverance with my strength coach we took the necessary precautions to get back on the field at 100%. Coming back to play during my senior season was a great accomplishment of mine.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

       • Rolling my ankle in dress shoes in front of all my friends at our schools athletic banquet.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

       • Recovering a fumble on the goal line while playing for the Canadian National Team.

What song best describes your work ethic?

       • Live For This – Hatebreed.

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

       • A passion for the game of football. To play and succeed at the next level requires more than only physical abilities.

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

       • My aunt who passed away unexpectedly.

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

       • Whiskey Jack’s.

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?

       • Chance Warmack.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

       • Respected because respect must be earned through your actions. You don’t have to be liked to be respected.

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

       • Jack Kinney, a friend of mine who I had played football with through high school who’s university career was cut short due to being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

       • I hate to lose. Hating losing drives you to do better every snap of every game.  

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

       • My Mom. She has been extremely supportive and always encouraging of me to chase my dreams. She has done an extremely good job at raising me to be the man I am today.