NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Gabriel Dansereau, DT, Merrimack College

Gabriel Dansereau the Canadian DT from Merrimack College recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot
  • Name: Gabriel Dansereau 
  • Height: 6’1
  • Weight: 270
  • Position: Defensive Tackle 
  • College: Merrimack College 

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

• I grew up in a town called Dollard-des-ormeaux in Montreal Quebec Canada. What I loved the most was being able to stay outside until the sun went down. It didn’t matter the time of the year, I would be outside playing basketball or football with my best friends Rashaun and Jelani Gittens, who became family. 

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

• Film study allows me to study and see weakness that other opponent might give up in games. The second would be practice because it would help me improve on my skills and get the opportunity to improve on technique. The last would be strength and conditioning that is where I would be able to get stronger and faster.  This is where I would be with my teammates or by my self to improve on things that could make a difference on the field. When I am in their I try to out work everyone else around me because every little thing matters to me when looking at Film,Practice or the weight room.     

What do you worry about, and why?

• There is not very much I worry about. I live by the moto what happens, happens and there’s a reason for everything. If I worried about stuff I would never be able to overcome my fears. 

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

• I don’t believe in failures, everything is a lesson that I learned from. That’s why I think I have gotten this far in my career. Sometimes I feel like I might have failed at a practice or even sometimes a game but I go home and I study the film and analyze where I can improve and get better at. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• The best quality I believe my teammates would say, would be that I have a sense of humor and a great personality. I always see the good in everything and try to make every situation into an enjoyable moment when I am at Football.   

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

• The best player I went against in my college career was Samuel Cooper at right guard.

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

• If I couldn’t play football, I believe I would still be in sports, either coach, recruiter or manager of a team.  

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

• I would clean my room first, that is where I get my down time and where I grow internally at night before going to bed. That is where I end a long day after school and football, while also reflecting on what I can improve on, off the field.

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

• I would save my girlfriend Megan, we have been together since highschool. She has been there through the most important times in my life and we have gone through so much. We have grown together and I could not imagine going through life without her. She is the one that I would tell everything to. She is there when I need her because I know we are stronger together then apart.     

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

• I would be Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2, because his a Machine that is able to continue when it gets tough and never gives up when facing an opponent that is stronger than him. 

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

• The biggest adversity I encountered was when I was sixteen and I went through neck surgery, I was born with one of my vertebrae not fused properly, the doctor told me I might never play football again. That’s when I knew I would work harder than anyone in the gym or on the field to get stronger and faster so I could get back on the field.    

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• I don’t really have an embarrassing moment, I make everything into comedy when I feel a situation to be to heavy or I might have messed up or done something embarrassing. 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

•  Winning my first D1 game. That had been a dream of mine ever since I’ve played football at the College level. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Heart of a Champion by Nelly 

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

• The most important trait I have is my hand placement and how I am able to examine the game., I might not be the tallest on the field but I have worked harder on other techniques, while also understanding how to examine tape to make me be in the right spot at the right time. 

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

• If I could bring one person back from the dead for one day, it would be my nono (grandfather), I would just want to be able to sit and talk to him about everything I have accomplished and get his opinion on what I have been doing. I would love for him to meet my girlfriend while also giving him a big huge. 

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

•  The night life is not really something for me. If I were to open something I would open an arcade or a gaming centre and call it “The most relaxing place in the world”. 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Aqib Talib 

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected, everyone will have opinions about me and I know that not everyone will like me but respecting someone and their talent in this industry or any industry is a lot more powerful than being liked. 

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

• The player who I think lost out because of off-field issues is Micheal Vick. I don’t understand why he would put himself in that kind of situation with dog fighting when he had everything in the NFL but I do believe he did his time and should have a second chance to prove to the world that he is a good person.There are a lot of other players who I believe have done a lot worse and are still playing in this game. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I hate to lose, losing stays with you. It hurts and makes you have a bad taste in your mouth, while it also follows you compared to a win. You feel the excitement when you win but it only lasted for those moments. I think losing stay with you for longer than a win because people will always talk about how close you were then about that win. 

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

• The biggest influence in my life has been Ray Lewis, growing up watching Ray on Tv is what gave me so many reasons for why I wanted to play football. His emotional speeches before the game and the way he was able to pick up his teammates on and off the field. His work ethic and the way he fought through pain was incredible. 

Damond Talbot

NFL Draft Diamonds was created to assist the underdogs playing the sport. We call them diamonds in the rough. My name is Damond Talbot, I have worked extremely hard to help hundreds of small school players over the past several years, and will continue my mission. We have several contributors on this site, and if they contribute their name and contact will be in the piece above. You can email me at nfldraftdiamonds@gmail.com

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