2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Raymond Toledo, DB, Avila University

• Name: Raymond Toledo
• Height: 6 Foot
• Weight: 200 Lbs
• Position: DB
• College: Avila University
• Twitter: @LedoIsland

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

•  Coming from The Bronx, NY Makes it easier to overcome and endure adversity, its called The Concrete Jungle symbolizing how tough it is. Coming from that part of town made me resilient and better equipped to handle anything that may challenge me and that’s what I love most about The Bronx.

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

• Strength and conditioning, Film study & then Practice. In order to successfully play the game of football one needs to be physically fit to play. Film study would be second in my list because I like to come in a game with an idea of what’s going to happen so I can think less and play faster. Then with practice, I feel you can teach your muscles how to perform well through muscle memory that you can train your body to have.

What do you worry about, and why?

•What I worry about the most is being successful and where life will take me after college but, I learned to worry about only what I can control at the moment and leave everything else up to god and just play with my cards right with the opportunities that come my way.

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

• I remember my first time taking an accounting class in college and failing it, badly. I would try and look for reasons and excuses to justify why I failed but at the end of the day, it was all on me. So I took a step back, reflected and realized I need to start teaching myself if the teacher isn’t enough. I will have to put in a substantial amount of time outside of the classroom. After that, I’ve never had an issue with the accounting class. I ended up passing the class and moved forward onto passing cost accounting, advanced accounting, and etc.

What do your teammates say is your best quality? 

• Being blunt and upfront. I don’t like the fact of sugarcoating things for individuals. In the real world, they aren’t going to ease you through things. Life is going to come at you hard and you are going to have to be able to handle it every step of the way. 

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

• The best player that I can say that I played against in college would have to be Pruitt from KWU. 

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

• If I was unable to play Football I would be a Payroll Director for a well-oriented corporation. Also, I would be coaching any local youth team. I can’t stay away from the game so I wouldn’t mind giving back to the younger generations, especially now when there’s barely any good guidance for our youth.

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

• I would clean my room first, my desk second and my car third, I can’t live in a messy space and I find it very hard to work in a messy environment.

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

• Depending on the situation if I can save all I would but, I would save the one family member first, personally I value family more over anything, blood-related or not a family is an essential value of life.  

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

• That’s easy, The Flash. He is always trying to make the world a better place while putting everyone into consideration and looking for the good in everyone.

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

• I remember my last semester at JUCO so close to graduating and was borderline homeless, my only shelter at the time was to live in a friend’s house until I had enough to rent a room out on my own. Once I finally accomplished that while going through football season I realized that I didn’t account for the food that I would need. Thankful that I have a supportive father he helped me out a lot with helping me provide for food but I used to try my best not to depend on him as much so I applied for food stamps and was able to live and eat for the remainder of the year until I graduated on my own.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• The most embarrassing moment for me was having to go to summer school in order to get my high school diploma because I had failed my Science Regents. Some of my friends getting ready for their Collegiate careers and others starting their lives, while I was waking up to go to attend summer school just to take a test. I really didn’t care about what others thought, it just killed me inside knowing that I had to wake up and go to school instead of going to the gym or the field. 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• Breaking the Single game Interception record for Avila with 3. That feeling was euphoric. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Hard in the paint by Waka Flocka.

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

• I feel like since I’m a big aggressive athlete I could use more speed and agility to put me over the top at the next level.

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

• My grandmother. if she was alive right now things would be easier. she always knew what to tell me when I needed advice and did the same for the rest of the family. you can say she was the glue to our family.

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

• If I had a dance club I would probably name it Wavy Tingz.

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Michael Thomas would be the most underrated player in my opinion.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected rather than liked. A person that respects you, whether they like you or not, will still respect you. Most leaders aren’t liked by everyone but most are respected and being liked by someone doesn’t determine if they will deceive you or do you wrong behind your back.

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

• Antonio Brown, He was a hard worker and I feel like he could have handled himself better at a crucial point like that in his career.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I Despise losing. that feeling in your stomach you feel all week is probably the worst feeling I ever encountered in my life. all week I dig into the film, extensively evaluating every mistake and every potential opportunity to make plays the upcoming week just to make we don’t lose again.

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

• Honestly, I have two individuals who influence my life the most. My grandmother and my father they both showed me how to better myself as a man while also supporting me through this process. They didn’t judge the decision I made in my life they just stood by me and supported the choices I made. Since I would be the first one to get my bachelor’s degree they would definitely be proud of this decision.