2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Quintin Meinerz, OG, UW-Whitewater

• Name: Quintin Meinerz
• Height: 6’3”
• Weight: 320 lbs
• Position: OG
• College: University of Wisconsin Whitewater
• Twitter: @QMeinerz

Tell us about your university/college. What was your major/minor? How is campus life?

UW-Whitewater has a wide variety of majors and student organizations to help bring a diverse group of people onto this campus. UW-Whitewater is typically known for its business school, but I am majoring in physical education. More specifically, I would like to be a strength and conditioning coach in the future. Campus life is great for me because the university and the city are separated. This means travel distances are shorter and it is easy to find class locations. As a freshman, this made the transition from high school easy because everything was close together. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

I think my teammates would say my best quality is that I show up every day with a positive mental attitude. Along with that comes my laugh which is usually contagious. My best quality overall is just the ability to spread positivity on days that are hard to be positive. To support my statement of my laugh being contagious, I was class laugh in high school.

What kind of role do you see yourself in on the team?

My role on this team is to be a leader not only on the field but also off the field. Typically, I have always taken leadership as a lead by example role. This year I am challenging myself to be a more vocal leader to enhance what I can do as a leader. 

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

The best player I have played against is Joey Longoria from University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The two times we played against each other were a lot of fun because it was a consistent chess game each snap. 

Which one of your teammates impresses you the most?

The teammate that impresses me the most is our right tackle Kyle Gannon. His ability to manipulate the defensive ends he plays against every game is impressive to watch. There is a physical and mental aspect, and I would say his mental understanding of the game is what makes him a great tackle. I am also not downplaying his ability to play physical because that is also a part in his game.

Describe a time in your life when you were able to overcome a struggle.

A time where I was able to overcome a struggle was when my parents got divorced when I was 13. This is personal information, so I won’t go any further but parents splitting up is always a hard time.

If you didn’t play football, what other sport would you play?

If it wasn’t for football I would be wrestling right now. This was my second main sport in high school and placed 5th in the division 1 state tournament at heavyweight in Wisconsin. I enjoyed the technical aspect of wrestling and understanding body movements to keep balance. I also excelled as a thrower in track & field placing third at the sectional with 55’.

What is something that you are most proud of? What would you say is your biggest achievement?

Something that I am most proud of was being voted the team MVP for the 2019 season. This was something I never expected because I am an offensive lineman. This has truly shown the impact that I have on this team and has built my confidence as a leader going into the 2020 season. My biggest achievement comes from being all state in three sports during my high school senior year. I was all state D-line and O-Line, state placer in wrestling, and state qualifier for shot put. Being a multi-sport athlete in high school was something I took pride in and strived to be the best in each sport. 

Describe one of the most memorable plays of your collegiate career.

My most memorable play was against University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the 2019 playoffs. It was near the end of the game, and the play we called was having me pull and kick out the defensive end. Previously during the game, when the defensive ends saw me pulling they would cut me to create a pile in the back field. Right before the snap, our offensive line coach Brent Allen yelled at me to dodge the defensive end. Once the ball was snapped, I pulled like I normally do and dodge the incoming cut. I then caught up with the running back and pancaked a defender to get a first down and secure the win. 

Do you have a favorite athlete or professional team? Is there a player that you model your game after?

My favorite athlete is Tom Brady, and my favorite team is the New England Patriots. The reason for Tom Brady is because of his story of becoming a professional athlete. Being selected 199 and being one of the best quarterbacks ever is amazing. The Patriots are my favorite team because of how well they prepare and execute each week. They also put players in the best position possible to be successful and don’t force players to be a certain position. I do not model my game after anyone but, I do take pieces of many athletes’ games and add them to mine. 

Who is your favorite music artist? What gets you pumped before a game?

My favorite music artist is Oliver Heldens and I am sure most people don’t know who he is. He is an electronic music producer from Rotterdam, Netherlands. Before a game I have two styles of music I will listen to depending on that day. Some games, I will listen to faster upbeat music like drum and bass to get pumped up. Other times I will listen to slower, more relaxing music to calm down and focus. 

What is your favorite comfort food?

My favorite comfort food is spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and parmesan cheese. This combination creates a whole balanced meal especially with a glass of milk. This is something my dad makes a lot whenever I am home, and it is mandatory to have at least 2 bowls because of how good it is. 

What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies?

In my spare time, I enjoy fishing and playing video games. I enjoy fishing in the ocean the most and one of my bucket list goals is to catch a shark. The variety of fish in the ocean is why I think it is the most fun kind of fishing. I enjoy playing old school video games on the GameCube and Nintendo 64. I also play some of the newer games on PS4 mainly for the social element to talk and play the game with friends. 

Who or what motivates you the most?
What motivates me the most is proving people wrong when they say I can’t do something. I am willing to do whatever it takes to prove someone wrong. The person that motivates me the most right now is our right tackle Kyle Gannon because we are always pushing each other to the limit.