2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: James Dumas, DT, Bowie State University

• Name: James Dumas
• Height:  6’3
• Weight: 302
• Position: DT/NT
• College: Bowie State University 
• Twitter: Realkingjd

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

•  I’m from Washington DC, what I love most is the culture built by go-go music and our food.

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

•  Practice, Film Study, Strength and Conditioning 

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry about not being successful because I’ve put a lot of work in and people who believe in me do as well so I don’t want to let myself or anyone down.

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

•  I didn’t reach my goals as a player at CCSU my junior year and we lost the NEC championship. I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose another championship game and meet my own personal goals. I focused on the little things throughout practice because that’ll make or break your success during the season. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• They would say my best quality is my passion for the game, I don’t want to lose and I don’t want to just win. I want to dominate a team week in and week out. 

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

• Jake Dolegala 

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

• HR director

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

• Room, desk, 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 honestly try my best to save everyone but if I had to choose I’ll save the most people, I would want my family member to save three people over me.

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

• I would be Timo Cruz from Coach Carter because he dealt with a lot of adversity and realize what he wanted in life and went after it. Also the quote “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.” says it all.

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

•  My biggest adversity was choosing between Basketball or Football. That was one of the toughest decision I made in my life. A strong influencer in my life wanted me to play basketball. I was walking home one day from school and asked myself which one feels the most natural to do. I remember tackling my older brother on our front porch during December and it was snow outside. I was a kid that’s what I loved to do play football. That gave me the confidence to focus fully on football no matter what. Every time I come home I drive past that street I use to walk home and it makes me happy I made the right decision.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• My most embarrassing moment was at my grandmother’s church. When church was over I went to go sit on the pastors chair my grandmother caught me and I was never that terrified in my life. I was 7 years old.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• Play 60, 2017 vs Fordham University my first college career sack.

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Nipsey Hussle- Grinding All My Life/ Stucc In The Grind.

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

• Passion

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

• My best friend Daniel Brown. I just want to tell him everything that has happened I know it would make him proud to see how far I came. We became friends through football I moved to a new neighborhood and they were all playing football outside. I went out there and asked to play, game was tied last possession and I caught the game winner we was friends forever after that.

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

• 305

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Yannick Ngakoue

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

•  Respected, my success might not be liked but it will be respected.

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

• Tyrann Mathieu, after hearing his story it makes you hope he continues to have success.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

•  Hate to lose.

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

•My mentor Mark Strudivant he gave me a blueprint and I just had to follow it. He told me with the right amount of work you can play college football and go to the NFL. I believed it then and I still believe it now.