2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Zach Edwards, QB, College of St. Scholastica
- Name: Zach Edwards
- Height: 6’ 3”
- Weight: 215
- Position: QB
- College: College of St. Scholastica
- Twitter: @MagicZach_11
Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?
• I’m from St. Paul, MN, more specifically the West St Paul, Mendota Heights area. I love the diversity of the cities, there’s people of all kinds. It creates an awesome dynamic that I love to be in and just learn from others and their ways of life.
List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?
• Film Study is the most important, this is because it all starts with your opponent. You have to understand who your opponent is, what they’re good at and what they’re not. Knowing this will allow you to compile the best game plan to attack them and put your team in the best position to win. Next is Practice, once you figure out the scheme you must practice it to be successful, you have to take the reps at the plays you’re going to do against certain looks to be as prepared as you can come gameday. And last is Strength and Conditioning, this is still a huge component but without a game plan and practice you’re just in shape and strong. Strength adds a different component to the game, it helps you to be better at your job assigned to you in practice and allows you to then be more successful at your job in the game.
What do you worry about, and why?
• My family. Being away is always tough, just want to make sure they’re all living their best lives and more than anything just want them to be happy.
Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?
• Going into my sophomore year of college I competed the entire offseason for the starting QB spot, come the end of camp I lost the job and didn’t start week one. One of the biggest failures of my life, but it taught me to not hang my head and keep working for when my opportunity came. The second game of the year I got my chance and I started the next 29 games and went on to be very successful in my college career. That failure taught me that I have to work even harder than I could have ever imagined and to always be prepared for when your opportunity comes and you’ll make the most of it.
What do your teammates say is your best quality?
• Preparation, they know that I am in the office watching film, helping make the game plan, doing whatever I can to give myself and my team an advantage so that we can win on Saturday.
Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?
• Nicholas Morrow
What would your career be if you couldn’t play football?
• Football Coach or an Artist
Room, desk and car – which do you clean first?
• Room
If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?
• One family member, I’m a very family oriented person and strongly believe in family first. I would have to save my family, family over everything.
If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?
• I would be Batman, in my opinion he is the best superhero. He is able to save the city and compete with other superhumans when he has no actual super powers. He uses his resources and fighting skills to become a superhero and is the only to do what they do with no powers.
Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?
• My parents divorce, I was fairly young, around 13 years old. I just tried my best to focus on all the great things around me, my awesome brothers and sisters, my great friends and the sports in my life became even more important to me, these were all ways of escaping the tough times but overall it made me who I am today and I wouldn’t change that in a second.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
• During the 5th grade Talent Show I was doing dunks on a mini hoop off a mini trampoline and I missed two dunks in front of the whole school.
What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?
• We made a huge comeback from down 20 in the third quarter and tied it up on the last drive. We then went to OT and scored on our first play, then our defense went on the field and we picked the ball off in the end zone and we won the game. We all rushed onto the field and made a huge dog pile.
What song best describes your work ethic?
• Everything I am – Kanye West
What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level?
• The ability to listen, take feedback and learn.
If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?
• My cousin Ben, I miss him and want my family and myself to have another day to spend with him.
If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it?
• Zeboz
Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?
• Matthew Stafford
Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?
• Respected, I would rather be respected by all and not liked, than be liked and not respected. Especially as a QB you want to have the respect of your teammates. There’s times when you have to put guys in line and they aren’t always going to like that but as your teammates they respect it and know your doing it for the better of the team and because you want that team to be as successful as possible.
What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?
• Mike Vick
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 Grandfather, he has shown me the ropes on how to be a strong man. Instilled morals and values in me that will forever be with me as long as I live, he has always been there for me with anything I needed. Always the first one to offer a helping hand and would go to earth’s ends for his family, a very loving and caring man that I look up to and strive to be like everyday. Forever thankful for his support and love.
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