2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Nick Nixon, OT, Samford University

• Name: Nicholas Nixon (Nick Nixon)
• Height: 6’4″
• Weight: 295
• Position: OT
• College: Samford University
• Twitter: @Real_NickNixon

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

•  My hometown is Goodlettsville, TN and what I love most about it is how it has a small town atmosphere and everyone is like family, but it’s close enough to downtown Nashville to where I can enjoy the big city. 

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

•  Strength & Conditioning – You have to have your body in the best shape possible to be at your best during the season. Film Study – You have to know what you’re going against and what’s the best strategy to beat them. Practice – This is where you win the game and use your abilities and strategy to beat your opponents. 

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry about trying to put my future self in the best position possible in every aspect of life because I don’t want to have regrets later in the life of something I should’ve done.

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

•  My first semester of college did not go the way I wanted it to in school. I was overwhelmed because I did not know how to manage my time and be the best at football and in school. I have overcome this by learning time management skills and prioritizing things to help me achieve my goals.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

•  Work-Ethic and Leadership through my performance.

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

•  Brian Burns. Dude can ball and that’s why he was drafted in the 1st round. 

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

•  If I couldn’t play football I would want to get myself into the business and management part of healthcare. 

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

•  All of them are important, but you have to have your room clean because it’s easier to find things.  

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

•  Family member, because family is one of the biggest pieces of my life and the reason I’m in the position I am today. 

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

•  I would be The Joker from The Dark Knight because even though he was a supervillain, he was a mastermind and also had a sense of humor. 

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

•  There have been too many examples of adversities that I’ve had to deal with in my life. The best way I deal with them is by taking time to realize that this isn’t the first time I’ve been hit with something like this and by controlling what I can and letting God take care of the rest because I know He got me.  

What is your most embarrassing moment?

•  My most embarrassing moment was when I got dunked on in a high school basketball tournament in Florida. Even though we won the game my teammates and coaches never failed to let me know that it happened. 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  As an offensive lineman getting the ball thrown to you is a dream come true, but besides that play, I would have to say that my most memorable play so far was against Wofford my freshman year. We ran a screen where the OT gets out to block the corner and I leveled the corner, which sprung our WR out for a huge gain. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

•  Achieving by Rich Homie Quan

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

•  Confidence in God and Myself.

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

•  Martin Luther King Jr. because I want to sit and thank him for the things he did that have changed the world today.

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

•  I would name my club “The Essence” 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

•  Dak Prescott, because people overlook his talent and athletic ability.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•  I would rather be respected because when people respect you they recognize you as an important person that shares or has qualities they possess or would like to possess. Being liked by someone can change like the weather, but being respected goes a long way. 

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

•  Colin Kaepernick, because he used his platform at the time to convey a message that was powerful but misunderstood by many, which ultimately led to the position he’s in now.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•  I hate to lose, I can’t stand being second.

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

• My parents have been the biggest influence in my life. I’ve seen them both go above and beyond in everything that they do and they have shaped me into the person I am today.