NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Quinton Maxwell, QB, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Quinton Maxwell the gunslinging QB from Indiana University of Pennyslvania recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot.
  • Name: Quinton Maxwell
  • Height: 6’2”
  • Weight: 218.4
  • Position: Quarterback
  • College: IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)
  • Twitter: @QuintonMaxwell9

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

My hometown is Richmond, Missouri. Richmond is a small farm town of about 6,000 people 45 minutes west of Kansas City, Missouri. What I love about my hometown is that everybody knows everybody, and it has a very friendly, small town atmosphere. I grew up working around my grandpa’s farm and I continue to do that to this day when I am home. Growing up here is something I wouldn’t trade. 

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

For me, you can’t rank these in order. In my opinion, these are all equal importance. 

What do you worry about, and why?

I make a conscious effort to not worry about things that I can’t control. The only thing that I would say concerns me about this process is whether I would gain enough exposure. Being from a smaller school, that is the only concern that I have. But at the end of the day, whatever is meant to happen will happen. 

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

One example of when I felt I had failed at something was when I was at Ohio University. I felt that I had failed, and I began to question whether I could play this game at the college level and beyond. I felt that the love that I had for the game began to fade. However, I realized that what happened to me was out of my control. I attacked my final season at Ohio and in the season opener, I was called on to come in and help win the game in comeback fashion. Between that, and the success that I had at IUP in my final season was examples of trying to find a way to remember some things are out of your control and you have to block those things out and control the controllable. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

I can’t speak for my teammates, but I would hope they would say that I was a relentlessly hard worker that was the first into the facility, and the last to leave. I think they would say that my best quality is that I am a team first guy before I value any individual statistics.

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

The best player that I have played against in college was probably Maxx Crosby (Defensive End – Eastern Michigan)

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

If I couldn’t play football, my dream job would be a college football broadcaster for ESPN or Fox Sports. Being able to broadcast college football from some of the top venues in all of college football and sports would be my dream job.

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

I would have to say that I clean my room first because I will spend the most time in my room. It is my personal space and I want to feel at home in room. 

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

This is a tough question because who am I to decide who lives and who dies in a situation like this? With that being said, I would save my family member. Family is my foundation. MY family has made me who I am. I would save my family member.

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

I would choose to be Steve Harvey. Steve Harvey, I think is one of the funniest people on TV and he is living his best life. I watch Family Feud videos all the time as well as watching some of his talks on his personal show, “The Steve Harvey Show”. Also, I admire the way that Steve Harvey carries himself through all the fame and fortune that has come his way. He has remained humble and authentic and I admire that quality.

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

The toughest adversity that I have ever faced in my life was being replaced at Ohio University. To this day, I feel like something was taken from me. I became bitter at first. And I handled the situation the wrong way at first. And then I began to realize that the situation was out of my control. What I could control was my attitude and effort. So, I began to block out the negatives about the situations and try to rediscover my love for the game. That which was taken from me by Ohio University. Luckily, I was able to step into a good situation at IUP and I had the senior season that I had always imagined for myself. At the end of the day, it comes back to controlling the controllable.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Dressing up as “Q-Pid” in the local Mr. Valentine Pageant for Richmond R-XVI High School during my sophomore year. My outfit was funny.

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

The most memorable play of my college career came in the season opener of 2018 at Ohio University. It was second and goal from the 7-yard line. We had come back from a 16-3 deficit against Howard University. We were leading by 6 at the time. We called a quarterback draw, and I was able to make one man miss and I picked up a great block from Cam Odom on the perimeter that sprung me into the endzone. It was my second rushing touchdown of the day, and my fourth total touchdown on the day. It was memorable because it was in the north endzone in front of where my parents were sitting. Well my entire family was there at the game that day. I remember standing up and looking up into the stands. My teammates were swarming me, but the thing that sticks out was seeing my family in the stands celebrating. I pointed up to them as to say, ‘that one was for you’. This was after the 2017 season in which I was replaced as the starter. So, this was a fulfilling moment that all my hard work was not for nothing. 

What song best describes your work ethic?

The Only Way I Know – Jason Aldean: It is a country song that talks about working to earn everything you get no matter the circumstances. Hard blue-collar work and being raised tough. This song is about how I grew up.

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

I would say the one trait that will give me a chance at the next level is I will work as hard as I possibly can to be the most prepared at my position. Whether I am being asked to be a practice squad guy, a back-up Quarterback, or a starting quarterback, you will find nobody that I won’t outwork to make sure that I am the most prepared to execute my roll. I came from a small school and was not heavily recruited coming out of high school. I have had to fight, scrape, claw, and scratch for every single opportunity that I have gotten. That will always remain the case with me. 

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

Tom Adams. Coach Tom Adams was a long time high school coach at my high school back in the 70’s and 80’s. He was also very active in my church while I was growing up. Coach Adams was like a second father to my dad and just had a way of connecting with people and talking to people. He was good football coach and an even better person. If I could rewind the clock and go back just to have a conversation with him and tell him how much I miss him. 

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

The Maxwell House

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?

Damien Williams (RB Kansas City Chiefs) Go look at the postseason numbers with the Chiefs.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

Respected and it isn’t even close. Sometimes, if you want to get where going, you are going to make people mad along the way. If you truly desire to be a leader in whatever field you choose, you are going to rub some people the wrong way. It is impossible to be liked by everyone. I would much rather be respected by my peers and the people that matter in my life than be liked by everyone. Not everybody liked me in high school. But that didn’t bother me. But I would like to think that I had the respect of anybody that truly knew me whether they liked me or not. Being liked doesn’t matter to me. I would rather be respected by those that matter.

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

I love to win. I have a desire and a passion to succeed and to win during competition. However, if I have put my best foot forward, given my best effort, and played the game that I set out to play and I lose, I can be at peace with that. If someone beats me in a competition when I give my best effort, I can handle losing. There will always be a winner and a loser in sports. In an era of participation medals, I believe there must be a winner and a loser in sports. And if I play my best game and give my best effort and my competitor is better than me on that day, I can handle losing. I don’t hate losing. I resent losing when I know there was something more, I could have done. But I love winning. I believe there is a distinction to be made.

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

My parents are the biggest influence in my life. My parents are my constant support. They have made me into the person and athlete that I am today. Without them, I would not be in the position that I am.

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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