2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Craig Evans, DT, Langston University

• Name: Craig Evans
•  Height: 6030
•  Weight: 318
•  Position: DT
•  College: Langston University
•  Twitter: @craigevans18

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

•  I was born in Vicksburg Mississippi but was raised 2 hours away in the Capital of Mississippi which is Jackson, south side. My hometown is what has gotten me to where I am today learning the things I did there have allowed me to push through a lot of tough obstacles in life and I’m forever grateful.

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

•  Strength and Conditioning have to be first for me because, it’s where you become Watchu you wanna be, training your body and mind and preparing it for what’s to come. No, it doesn’t define you on the field but without it, you’ll hurt yourself and or be prone to injury.
Film study being the second most important to me because I feel it’s where you see your mistakes and learn from them. It’s where you study your opponent to the point where you know all his strengths and weaknesses. “ the eye in the sky never lies”.
Practice being last because it’s where you go and apply the first two. I always try and practice game tempo so when the game comes it’s easy and not a shock.

What do you worry about, and why?

•   I try not to worry much cause you can’t stop what’s destined and what’s meant to happen will but I do indeed have a small worry about not being successful in the sense of making it to the next level and the main reason being is that it’s always been my destiny and I have messed it up once when it was there for the taking for me. But God has blessed me with a second opportunity and I’m forever grateful.

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

•  An example of me failing would have to be me leaving Michigan St University. I say this because everything I ever dreamed of all the way from pop warner till I got there Michigan St lived up to it. Everything was set up for me to take on my dream and I let it slip. I’m a man who lives life with no regrets but that still haunts me from time to time to this day cause it shifted a lot for me. Through the man above and him blessing me with mental toughness, I’ve overcome a lot and my dream is again right in front of me.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  I’ve played, at three different schools with Langston being the third and most my teammates say I have the ability to make players around me better because of what I expect of them and what I bring to the table.

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

•  Best player would have to be Saquon Barkley, bro got it for-sure at the running back and I faced Ezekiel Elliot and Derek Henry. My mans IQ was just some different.

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

•  If I wasn’t playing football I would more than likely be the football coach at some point but right away I would be a realtor or a contractor.

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

•  Room, can’t have the place where you lay yours out of order and the other to in order that’s not how it goes, at least for me.

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

•  That’s a steep question cause I feel it depends on the person in my family but more than likely the three people and it would be the simple Sacrifice of the three people being better to society later on in life than the one family member. But again depends on the situation.

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

•  If I could be any TV character, I would go with Dr. Strange because he could freeze time and a bunch of other things that could change.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•   I was in the 5th grade and had to poop very badly and on my way out the classroom I sneezed and farted at the same time right in front of my crush, so I was beyond embarrassed.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  Goal line stop against Ohio St versus Ezekiel Elliot.

What song best describes your work ethic?

•  Cant be touched by Roy Jones Jr.

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

•  I feel being mentally tough as well as being physically tough but having it up top makes for a lot of the things on the field to come smoother and you’re able to react more instead of thinking too much… This is because the game is tough period no ways around it and If it were easy everyone would be doing it, you gotta tell yourself that up top and get to work.

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

•  Would be my Grandmother, because I don’t have any real memories of her all a blur and I hear amazing stories about her and just want to hug her and meet her because she created some great with my family.

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

•  Big Papas, only the ladies would understand ( haha).

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

•  Darqueze Dennard

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•  Respected because that will more than likely allow others to easily like you, also respect is just everything nowadays, it speaks volumes about your character and who you are as a person.

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

•  Adrian Peterson because I feel that situation shifted how a lot of people viewed him when it shouldn’t have. Feel it was blown way out of proportion plus he has to suffer from it. Just not right.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•  Love to win hate to lose with a passion because I work and push myself and my team to be best so once we lose it just hurts on another level absolutely hate losing with a passion.

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

• Biggest influence would have to be my first cousin Maurice Bolden. He is now playing professional basketball in Canada but he was born and raised in the same place as I face the same obstacles as me and has made a name for himself and living out his dream. Seeing him make it out when all the odds were pointing at him to not do so, just give me that much more will and passion towards getting to the next level and doing what God has sat out for me to do.