2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Austin Hicks, WR/TE, Tennessee Tech

• Name: Austin Hicks            
• Height: 6’2
• Weight: 230
• Position: WR/TE
• College: Tennessee Tech 
• Twitter: Austin_hicks1

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

• Birmingham, AL. I like that all my family is in one place and that we’ve all grown up in the same area. 

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

(Depends on the in season or out of season)

-In Season 

Film Study is the most important because at any point you can train the mind and gain a competitive edge over your opponent. Film is where the details are taught and seen. And ultimately the details are most important because you can win or lose a championship because of it. 

Practice follows with it also being important so that your able to go over game like situations and make all your mistakes before gameday.

Strength and Conditioning is also important following behind the two. NFL seasons are long and pay tolls on the body its important that you get enough maintenance to still be training to become stronger and faster but also knowing how the body feels because the physical wear on the body.

What do you worry about, and why?

• I try not to worry because God has always provided a way in my life. I have my faith in him.

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

• In high school i had a goal for myself and fell short of it. I responded by going back to work and refocusing. The only answer for me is work harder. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• They’ve look at me as a leader because of the investment i show towards them. I try to raise of competition in everything we do. Help bringing out the best in guys

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

• Derek Barnett

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

• Coaching- doing something still around the game giving back anyway i can 

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

• Room- my place of relaxation has to be clean and in odor then everything else feeds off that

Car- traveling to and from is easy to get junky but it helps your next move but clean if your means of transportation is clean.

Desk- after those are clean it sets up perfect to have your work place clean because of habit. 

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

• Tough question, I would save a family first. You lean towards someone who has value with you than someone who doesn’t as well as someone you have a physical interaction and emotional connect with. 

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

• Martin, my favorite show. It would just be funny to be apart of it.

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

• My senior season of college got cut short due to a season ending injury. I tore a ligament in my wrist causing me to miss 6 games my last year. It was by the far the hardest thing ive had to deal with because of all i had invested and it being my last year to put myself in the best position possible to go to the NFL. In order to overcome it I had to distance myself from everything and everyone to pray and get myself back healthy. I knew that football is something I wanted to keep pursuing so I had to time to sit around and throw a pity party for myself. I took one day at a time with my training and therapy stacking those days on top of each other. 

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• Put a hole in my friends wall when we were horsing playing 

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• my very first TD against Austin Peay

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Hustle Hard-Ace Hood

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

• I think for me to be successful at the next level the most important trait for me physicality is versatility. Non-physical would have to be intelligence. Being a student of the game. 

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

• Kobe Bryant, he had some much knowledge and wisdom that he was giving back. You felt a connection with him even if you never met him because of the demand of excellence he had for himself as well as others.

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

• The Red Room 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Mike Evans. I don’t think he gets the credit and notoriety as other top receivers in the NFL

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• it is more important to be respected than liked. Its harder to gain respect vs being liked. Typically being liked means you have to do something to please someone. When you’re respected you make decisions even if that compromises with your comfort zone they benefit you in the end

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

• Tyrann Mathieu. No one is perfect by any means and we all do make mistakes. His comeback shows that its not about the knockdown or the fall down itself but its about the response to it. He went from being kicked out of school to being a Super Bowl Champion. A team leader and a key factor in his team success. 

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?• I love to win. The obsession of going through the process and coming out victories is far appealing than hating the feeling of losing. I don’t like to be fueled by anything negative. 

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?-My son, I have eyes on me with everything that I do now so that accountability and responsibility to provide for him is the biggest influence ive ever heard.