NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Santoni Graham, LB, Wagner College

Santoni Graham the quick and physical LB from Wagner College recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot.
  • Name: Santoni Graham
  • Height: 6000
  • Weight: 235
  • Position: LB
  • College: Wagner College

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

• I’m from Prince George’s Country Maryland, the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) area. I love everything about where I’m from the culture, the people, the food, and especially my family and friends. Home will forever and always have a special place in my heart.

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

• 1) Film study, I spend hours watching film, I’m a true student of the game. Thru film study, you can gain a beat on your opponent from tendencies like formations and personnel. When I’m watching film I’m just taking mental reps, so when I see certain things throughout the course of a game there is no hesitation. 2) Practice is a place where you get to put your scheme up against your opponent’s scheme in full speed. Practice is a time for corrections and mistakes, its also a time to work on your craft every day. I look at practice to be an opportunity to get better. 3) Strength and condition is where you get in shape mentally and physically, you get your body in shape to withstand the punishment of a full season. It’s also one of the only chances to improve athletically. All three are very important and critical, so I take advantage of all the opportunities I get in either of the three phases.

What do you worry about, and why?

• I try not to worry about much at all, I put my faith and trust in God so I don’t feel much to worry about.

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

• I had a few rough seasons at Wagner college, I didn’t win as many games that I would have liked too. I just adopted the mentality that failure is not an option, I never accepted failure. So I use “failures” more as learning experiences to improve and get better.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• Leadership, as a linebacker you are the quarterback of the defense so my teammates follow my lead and they trust my discretion as well as decision making. As the leader of a defense, I try to set the tone and let everyone rally around that.

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

• Lorenzo Jerome 

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

• Football is my passion, its what I love to do. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

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?

• Family member, I hold family members closest to my heart.

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

• I would probably want to be Batman because he’s my favorite movie character.

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

• One of the toughest things I went through was attending Fork Union Military Academy, it was a very different environment and structure to me at first but I eventually grew to love that place because it challenged me and made me better. I overcame it by just attacking each day, by just trying to take advantage of my time there to become a better football player. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• Failing a lifeguard swimming test

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• My first colligate touchdown off of an interception

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Future- Blood, Sweat, Tears

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

• I would say Football IQ, I understand defensive and offensive schemes/systems very well I think at the next level it’ll be very important.

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

• I have lost a few people close to me in my life so it’s hard to pick one person. The pain that you endure when losing someone is uncomparable and even unbearable at times. If had choose I would go with my Grandfather I lost him at a young age, and he was a special person

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

• The Boom Boom Room

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Terry McLaurin

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• Respected, everyone you come across is not going to necessarily like you but respect is a must regardless of who it is.

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

• Tyrann Mathieu, he went through a lot but now he’s a Super Bowl champion. I can’t even imagine what that journey was like, from being arrested to the Lombardi; it’s special.

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 mother, she is my whole heart. Everything that I have ever accomplished was for her.

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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