NFL DraftProspect Interviews

NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Zuril Hendrick, DB, Edinboro University

Western New York native Zuril Hendrick recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot for this powerful Prospect Interview!

• Name: Zuril Hendrick

• Height: 6’0

• Weight: 190

• Position: CB/DB

• College: Edinboro University

• Twitter: @ZurilHendrick

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

• I am from Rochester, NY. In Western NY and unless you’re from the area you never really heard of it. I love my city because it’s where I become myself, where I learned to love football. There’s a lot of talent from Rochester, I’m not the only one that has the potential to play at the next level, and that’s another reason why I love Rochester because we’re hungry to make it.

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

• For me, it would have to film, practice then strength and conditioning. Watching film is most important because you have to study your opponent, learn their tendencies and habits, what they like to do, what tips they give when they’re getting the ball or not. But it’s also important because you can study yourself as well and see what you need to improve on to maximize your play. Practice is next because you need reps, practice makes permanent, and you want to practice as much as you can to practice good habits and maintain them. And third is strength and conditioning because this a man’s game and you can’t expect to perform when your body isn’t in optimal shape.

What do you worry about, and why?

• Failing, my goal is to be great.

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

• When I was being recruited out of high school, I went on several visits to schools, I was only offered 2 scholarships, but when I asked one school if they were going to offer me a scholarship, they told me no, and that they saw me as a walk-on. At first, I was hurt that the coach told me I wasn’t good enough to get a scholarship from them, but I didn’t let it stop me. I had one more visit to a school that would play that team that denied me a scholarship every year, they offered me a scholarship, and I accepted it. And every year when we played that team that looked down on me I made my presence be felt on the field. 

 What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• They say my energy and leadership. I always try to bring the same energy whether it’s to practice or to a game. And I never stop leading, I always want to motive my guys and push them to be their best because if we want to be good as a team we all are going to need each other’s best. 

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

• I have two, I would have to say Gary Brown in 2016 from the California University of PA and Ardell Brown from Seton Hill University.

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

• My dream has always been to work in the front office for a sports team whether it’s baseball, basketball or football doesn’t matter I just love sports and love being around them.

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

• My room, it’s the first and last thing you see every day.

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

• You didn’t give me the option to save them all. But if I had to make a spur of the moment decision I would save the three strangers, you never know how much that could affect someone’s life. And family means everything to me don’t get me wrong I would just try to save as many as I could.

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

• Captain Steven Hiller from Independence Day. Who wouldn’t want to fight aliens and save the world?

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

• The injury I faced my junior year of high school that took me out for the entire season. After the season I wasn’t highly recruited and played two other sports. I wanted to play football in college and knew I could, so I was faced with the decision to sport playing one of the sports, basketball or baseball for the summer to be able to travel to camps to get myself more exposure. I ultimately decided to give up baseball a sport that I thought I was the best at growing up and loved to focus on football.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• In 5th grade, I had to play hot crossed buns in front of the class, and I didn’t remember a note and started playing notes.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• The game of my college career playing Kutztown University in a snow blizzard, I broke Edinboro’s all-time interception record with my 21st pick on a diving catch.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Dream and Nightmares x Meek Mill

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

• My persistence, no matter how difficult or tough something is for me I won’t stop until I get it.

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

• Uncle Doug, from all the stories that my dad and grandma tell me about him he was a great athlete, and I hate that he never got the chance to see me play.

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

• Vibe

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Jordan Poyer

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Respected, I don’t care if you don’t like I won’t lose sleep over it. And respect will take and the people around me a lot further.

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

• Probably Josh Gordon because he is a freak athlete that never seems to lose a step.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• Hate to lose, that filling fuels me to get better so I don’t have to feel it again.

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

• Mother and father, even though they aren’t together, they do everything they can to make sure I and my sibling are good no matter what. They are the ones I do it for.

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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