2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Paul Mckiever Jr., DT, South Carolina State University

• Name: Paul Mckiever Jr
• Height: 6’4 
• Weight: 325
• Position: DT
• College: South Carolina State University 
• Twitter: @Paul_Wezzy

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

• My hometown is very small and not many people make it out but we’ve always one of the top football programs in the state, I love that when the Friday night lights come on the whole town shuts down and everybody from the surrounding areas comes to the “Pitt” which is our stadium.

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

•Film Study,Practice,Strength, and Conditioning

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry about getting a shot at the next level, I say this because a lot of great players get overlooked at small schools and if you don’t catch the right attention you could get overlooked but I also love the competition because it makes you grind even harder.

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

•  I remembered when I first came to South Carolina State I was ineligible so I had to sit out and get through the first year as a regular student without any football privileges and that was the hardest thing I had to do in life because I love the game of football and always played it every year since I was 9 years old so that crushed me but also motivated me to never put myself back in that situation so that next summer I worked hard in the class and passed everything and became eligible and never looked back.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  I would have to say just the ability to read the play or call the plays out pre-snap because of the guard’s hand or stance or just their favorite plays to run out of each formation.

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

•  That’s easy Deshaun Watson

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

•  I would have to say Secret Services 

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

•  Desk, Room, Car

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

•I would have to say family members because you don’t get the time back that you may have lost with them and on the other hand I feel like you don’t have any memories with these strangers.

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

•I would have to say Superman because he’s the most iconic superhero/person of all time an everyone looks up to him.

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

•The biggest adversity I’ve dealt with it’s the passing of my mother she was in a car accident when I was just 18 months and I’m still trying to find a way to shake this feeling but I can say I’m no sad because I know she’s in a better place and I know that she’s my guardian angel and will forever look over me and My Dad is the real MVP because he stepped up and took care of me like a father should and not many could have ever done what he did on his own without any mother support at that age so he’s my hero and that’s the reason I play every game like it’s my last.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•I would have to say when we were playing Clemson and I was trying to sack Kelly Bryant but I just couldn’t quite get off the ground I was crawling and stumbling for at least 10 yards and that looked pretty bad.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•I would have to say the game when we played NC Central and me and my teammate Alex Brown did the alley-oop tackle that made top 10 on sports center.

What song best describes your work ethic?

•Drake-Started From The Bottom

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

•The ability the recognize the play pre-snap just the ability the know exactly what the offensive linemen is doing before he does it.

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

•I would have to say my mom because she deserves everything that comes our way and I wish she was here to enjoy and cheer her son on.

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

• Paul’s Place

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

•Easy My Boy Darius Leonard

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected because my dad once told me once you have respect people will like more.

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

• I would have to say Greg Hardy because he was always my role model same number and all but I just don’t think that you should punish a man by taking his job from him because that’s how he feeds his family an I looked into it a good little bit and just like any other player that gets into it with a coach or other player shouldn’t be automatically faulted for it because we’re all grown an at times Tensions can get very high when you become frustrated.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I definitely hate to lose more that I love winning 

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

•That’s Easy, My dad, because he taught me how to become a man sit up straight,look people in the eye when their talking, and just you have to give respect to get it and this has stuck with me through it all but The real reason I feel this way is because my dad was a great player/athlete himself but going into his senior year I was born so he had to put all his dreams of playing football for high school and even the next level on hold and take care of his responsibilities and he did that and always told me son never run from your responsibilities no matter what so this is why I have the utmost respect for this guy and I love him and why I look up to him.