2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Damar’ren Mitchell, DB, Colorado Mesa University

• • Name: Damar’ren Mitchell
• • Height: 6 ft
• • Weight: 192
• • Position: DB 
• • College: Louisiana Lafayette/Colorado Mesa University 
• • Twitter: @DamarrenM2

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

•  I’m from Houston, Texas but I went to move to Magnolia my 7th-grade year till my senior year. The thing I love about Magnolia is the people and how everyone comes together in need and support of each other, we may fight each other sometimes but we will always be there for each other in Tragedy or success.

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

•  To me film study is so important to me, not even watching film on your opponents but also on yourself, your teammates as well so you can know next time where they need to be and put them in their spots and also where you need to be and how can you better play the ball or where the receiver is or how to read the QB it’s so much success you can have with film study.  And practice is second because practice makes the perfect man I lot of people don’t like practice but me I have fun in practice I love stepping on the field every single day and having fun with my brothers and making perfect steps before the game. The third is strength and conditioning it’s also important staying strong keeping weight on during the season and staying in great shape for every game. It’s a big difference in teams who lifts during the season and who doesn’t, also it creates Discipline.

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry about not succeeding sometimes because I just wanna give my mom a great life and be able to provide for myself.

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 was me giving up a touchdown in the Texas a&m game my sophomore year to Christian Kirk. I came back to the sideline head hanging but my teammates picked me up and after that, I had two pass breakups one on him and 9 solo tackles and two tackles for a loss. It was the greatest feeling of overcoming that.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  The best quality my teammates will say I have is a hard worker on and off the field I am a film guru and prepare very well for every game.

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

•  Best player I’ve ever played against in college football had to be Nick Chubb he was one of the hardest runners I’ve ever played against and had to tackle. He had thighs like tree trunks. But also the defensive player was Dre baker corner from Georgia his instincts and play was crazy fast.

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

•  My career, if I couldn’t play football anymore, would either be MMA or be a high school football coach. Why because I would love to stay around the game forever and pass on knowledge to the younger generation.

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

•  I clean my room first then my car.

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

•  I think I’d be Spencer off of All-American and show him what a real football player does and how to be a real football player and just show the world the real pain of a single mom and never having your father in your life and the struggle of not having money.

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

•  My biggest adversity is the spring of my sophomore year I went to jail for fighting and I just felt so horrible and thought I was gonna miss my sophomore year football, but I did a lot of community service and made up with the community and got my good name back on track and had a great year. I overcame it because of my teammates and my mom. Just kept my head on straight 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  Haha, my most embarrassing moment my freshman year we were playing Boise state broncos and it’s my first start in college I threw up running out of the tunnel all over my cleats.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  The most memorable play of my college career was my Freshman year against Georgia and playing against Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. It was a huge down in the game we were down by a touchdown it was the third quarter and it was 3rd and 11 and we called a cover 4 nickel blitz and I blitz from the left side and he ran to the right side on a draw play and I chase him from behind my teammates stack him up and I come in strip the ball pick the ball up and run it in for a touchdown from 40 yards out. At the point now the game is tied 14 to 14.

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

•  Non-physical for me at the next level is my film and study preparation and physical I believe I put my heart into everything, weights, conditioning, football field.

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

•  That’s a sore subject but I’d definitely bring my uncle Steve back because he always was there he was like the father I’ve never had.

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

•  I have no idea at all 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?

•  The most underrated player in the NFL is Tony Jefferson the safety for the Ravens his work ethic and hustle and his play on the field is unbelievable I really look up to him. Also, David Johnson the running back from Arizona is too but if you watch him he reads the holes very well and very patient and is a hard runner.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•  I’d rather be respected by my peers and opponents than liked because they know what you can do on and off the field, if they respect you but if they just like you that’s it.

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

•  Shawn Oakman defensive end from Baylor his chances at the NFL were ruined because some female tried accusing him of rape that is so hateful and wrong.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•  I love to win because it’s one of the greatest feelings possible I hate losing because you feel like you did something wrong even if it’s a team game. Feel like you didn’t do enough.

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

• The biggest influencer in my life is my mom since I was little I seen my mom work two jobs and push to give us everything. And to me watching my mom do that that burned a fire in my chest and made me the man I am today and for that my mom will get the world I promise that.