2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Earnest Edwards IV, WR, University of Maine

• Name: Earnest Edwards IV
• Height: 5’10
• Weight: 175
• Position: WR/KR
• College: University of Maine
• Twitter: @Edwardsearnest

Hometown, and what you love most about it?

•  I’m from Rochester, NY where I live in the middle of the city. I love how supportive the city of Rochester is as a whole. When someone who is a Rochester native is achieving in life, rather if its sports or not, all of Rochester has their back. 

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

•  Film study is number 1 in my mind. I find it so interesting that I can watch film all day if I had to. Film helps learn the game and not just your position. Practice is number two in my mind and I honestly believe that practice makes perfect. Strength and conditioning are also just as important but its number 3 to me because you don’t have to be the biggest, or the most fit, or anything like that to win games. I’m not the biggest guy in the world but it’s all about heart. If you want it more than the other person than you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry about not making my family happy because they have done so much for me in my life no one could ever understand. All I think about is how I have to give back to them because without them, I would not be here right now. I wouldn’t be getting interviewed by NFL Draft Diamonds right now without my family.

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

•  In high school I wanted to do everything a normal football player dream of, which was play at the highest level of football possible. Well off bat I failed and didn’t get recruited by any big schools and mostly just CAA schools were interested in me. I had no other choice but to accept it and make the most of it. I went on to have a career I’ll never forget and breaking records not only at my school, or in the conference, but also in the nation. Even though my dream of playing at big school didn’t come true, my goal of playing in the NFL is not over.

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

• There were many players, but I would say the best player would have to be Nasir Adderley from Delaware, whose now in the league.

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

• If I couldn’t play football, I would be working under my Grandfather’s plumbing business. I’m a finance major so once football ends, I’m interested in joining the plumbing business and learning all about it.

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

• Family member. They’ve done so much for me in life I would have to.

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

•  One of my biggest adversity in life I had to deal with has to be overcoming and making it through Aquinas, my high school, all of my 6 years. Not everyone got into Aquinas and you had to take a test in order to get in. So, when I was in 6^th grade and I got accepted into the school, I remember a teacher telling me I wouldn’t make it through high school, I would be anything, all types of crazy stuff like that. To this day I still keep it in the back of my head because that’s one thing that keeps me going.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  The most memorable play of my career has to be my kick return touchdown against Colgate to tie the FCS KR record. That touchdown put me in the books forever, and that’s something no one could ever take away from me.

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

• My ability to make people miss and gain extra yards. I believe that’s my specialty, it’s hard to tackle someone if you can touch them.

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

• My guy Darius Minor. He was a young soul who was a part of the Maine Black Bear family but passed away during the summer. He never got to experience the college football life, but he’ll never be forgotten. 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• My guy Pat Ricard. He does a lot on the football field to help his football team win and be successful and its finally getting noticed more.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected because that means they accept you for who you are, even if someone is different from me or don’t agree with me.

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

• Antonio Brown for sure. He’s someone I looked up to and I still do, and to see everything that he’s dealing with now is sad. I’m not sure if any of it is true but I do feel for him because he just wants to play football and there’s people out there trying to keep that from him. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• This is hard because I love to win and love the feeling of accomplishing a goal, but at the same time I hate losing with a passion. When I lose, I feel like I didn’t prepare myself for the situation and I start to think the worst. But if I had to choose one, I would say I hate to lose.

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

• My family is the biggest influence in my life. They have the biggest impact in my life and when I see them give 120%, I feel as if I need to do the same.