2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Deon Smith, ATH, Samford University

• Name: Deon Smith
• Height: 6”0
• Weight: 215
• Position: Athlete 
• College: Samford 
• Twitter: Smith_044

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

• I’m from a small town in Georgia called Harris County which can be considered Pine Mountain as well, what I love most about my hometown is the peaceful culture and country atmosphere that it offers.

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

• First you must put in the work to be able to play a full game at a high level which is strength and conditioning, then comes the film study which you should spend countless hours of learning and seeing what you can improve on as well as film preparation for your opponent, as I was always told “know your opponent” last but not least is practice, once you have physically and mentally prepared now let’s practice because repetition is important especially when preparing for something

What do you worry about, and why?

• I fear not being as impactful as I can be because I believe God put us here to make a difference and build each other up. I want to reach my full potential to impact not only on the field but off the field too as much as possible so that’s something I sometimes worry about but I know God has everything in his hands so I keep looking to him daily.

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

• I honestly don’t say I have failed at anything, I consider the word failure as learning because you learn how to improve from last time, you only fail if you quit, if you have a bump in the road and keep going you never know what the outcome will be so I react to “failure” very optimistically because I feel in every opportunity there is an even better opportunity if you stay focused with a positive mindset

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• With me being a Godly man and always wanting to spread love, I would say my character because I’ve been through so much but I have always been a man who brings positive energy to the table regardless of the circumstances, I truly believe that character is what defines you as a person so I have tried to build myself to be positive and make it my best effort to influence those around me to be positive too 

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

• I didn’t actually get to play him personally but I wanted to stay present with who my team played this year and that is Javaris Davis CB for Auburn, I chose him because he’s an all around player and most definitely can’t be missed on the field he make plays!

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

• If I was not an athlete I would most definitely be some type of motivational speaker especially for the youth, I love to push others to find that person inside of them who can achieve beyond there imagination and just motivate people in general is something I like doing, once again God has us here to make a difference and I always have believed that there is never to much room for growth no matter what age you reach

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

• I say your room first because picture your house/room as an foundation if you keep your foundation clean then it will carry over to the outside things like your car which you would use to go to work and then you would keep your work clean as well, if you can see the bigger picture here it makes a lot of sense to why your room should be cleaned first, just remember the word foundation 

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

• I know this is not an option but I would try to save everyone because we should value everyone’s life regardless if they are family or not so I would try to save them all, that’s just the person I am, big hearted and wanting to make a difference anyway I can

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

• I would be be a part of Guardians Of The Galaxy because they spent a lot of time saving innocent civilians so I would love to do that because it’s making a positive difference.

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

• One of the most biggest adversity I had to overcome was being told I had to sit from the game I love which is football, the NCAA has there rules and regulations but I took it and still kept working in the weight room and film study and motivating my brothers to go win, I looked at it as a moment of faith, do I just let go or do I keep fighting for an opportunity that was going to take hard work and dedication, I chose to let it mold me as a man and it taught me that just because the route get foggy don’t mean God doesn’t have a plan in the end, during my free time I also was able to connect with a lot of people which has opened up opportunities no one would believe so I’m thankful for it all, the ups and downs I  learned to embrace it all

What is your most embarrassing moment? 

• The time I had told my coach and a few of my teammates that I’m next to get a sack joking around but I was serious and the next possession I had literally had the qb wrapped up and he got away and I had to do the walk of shame back to the sideline

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• With my career having a lot of ups and downs, I would like to focus on a play that was my brothers wide receiver Kelvin McKnight and qb Devin Hodges last year of the Florida State game, it was the first quarter we had just got the ball for the first possession and on the first play called, they connected for 54 yards for the first score of game which had the atmosphere on fire and it was just something about that game atmosphere that was probably one of the best because Samford was considered the underdogs so it was just great to get on the board first and kind quiet the crowd a little.

What song best describes your work ethic? 

• Lil Wayne Go Getta because that’s what I am, I just put my faith in God and I roll with it so that songs describes me perfectly because the opportunities I have right now I had to truly grind for it and go get it so anyone who knows my story with school most definitely will feel me

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

• I personally say non physical because believe it or not your mindset is powerful and can be the difference in you separating yourself based on what type of character and mindset you possess so most definitely I would say non physical first because it’s obvious to play at the next level you must possess a physical trait.

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

• I would bring back grandad because he was someone who I learned to be hard worker from because at a young age I spent a lot of time helping him out and just overall who he was as a person of love and character who I value

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

• I would name it Freedom because I want people to come and be able to have the freedom to express themselves with no judgment

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• I’m going with my brother from Samford wide receiver K McKnight who is currently with the Denver Broncos because  he’s really a dominant player who can make plays and be a game changer who deserves way more credit then he gets

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I would rather be respected because respect goes a long way, I feel that if you are respected then that is a solid foundation to have and if you respect someone, most times you like them and also I feel respect plays a key role in character to me because you should always respect yourself and those around you

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

• I would say Mike Vick who was hands down one of the most exciting players to watch because every play he brought a different element to the game and if he would have stayed with the Falcons without legal trouble he would have achieved so much more in his time era

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I honestly hate to lose and when you hate to lose you will train harder mentally and physically to ensure that you position yourself for the best outcome

• Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why? I have many people so I would say obviously my grandpa then my mom my sister my grandma my girlfriend etc because they have always been there for me and I’m thankful for the many ways they have pushed me to become that man I’m becoming which is bigger than football so I thank God for such great people in my life.