2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Will Schneider, QB, William Jewell College

• Name: Will Schneider
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 217
• Position:QB
• College: William Jewell College
• Twitter: @willschneider02

Tell us about your university/college. Did you participate in any other activities or campus organizations other than football?

William Jewell is a small close knit community and it is a place that I feel very fortunate to be able to attend. Jewell has given me opportunities that I believe I may not have had at other colleges. One being that I am in a fraternity; Kappa Alpha Order has given me the opportunity to meet new people, form friendships that I am certain will last a lifetime, and to be a leader. I am in charge of the academics for the fraternity which has the highest GPA of all fraternities at Jewell and one of the highest in the nation for all of KA. I was also selected to be a part of the Pryor Leadership Academy, which consists of academic coursework, community service projects, and campus leadership initiatives. Pryor has given me a different perspective of how to lead effectively and ways I can improve my leadership style. I was also selected to represent the football team on Jewell’s Student-Athlete Avocation Committee.

How did you end up at William Jewell College?

It was between Jewell and two other division two schools that both had great football programs. However, for me Jewell was the place where I saw the most potential to grow academically and improve myself on the football field. This has been true because I have been able to be a starter since my sophomore year. I also am receiving an amazing education, majoring in political science and communication. The ability to play football and receive a great education was a hard offer to pass up on. Another reason was my recruiter who was my quarterback coach for three Season at Jewell Sam Brown. He is one of my favorite coaches and pushed me to be the best I could be and I am thankful to have had him as a coach.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

I believe my teammates would say I am a winner, I love to compete in anything I do and I hate losing. I usually cannot just “enjoy” a game of pickup basketball or 2K because I want to win. I believe that I have been able to use this quality to my advantage and achieve a lot of success. 

What kind of role do you see yourself in on the team? What scheme and/or position suits your skill set?

I think I’m naturally put into a leadership role as a quarterback and I embrace that role for sure. I think my biggest asset is the ability to keep everyone calm during stressful situations. Whether it’s during a game, or a hard workout, I keep the team focused on our goal.

I am best when I am in a system where I am a threat to run or pass. I have normally played in a RPO system that usually has a tight end and three receivers or just a four receiver set. I have always played in a system that throws more than it runs, and I am comfortable reading defenses and pride myself on making the right decision when I drop back to pass.

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

The best player I have gone against would have to be Tershawn Wharton from Missouri S&T. He was a dominant defensive end that impacted our game plan run and pass. Wharton was one of the few players that was able to catch me when I tried to escape the pocket. I enjoyed playing against him and am happy to see he has had an opportunity to play at the next level.

Which one of your teammates impresses you the most?

The teammate that impresses me the most is my Right Guard, Danny Presler. He is a leader on our team and he works extremely hard. Our head coach has told us that leaders have to walk the straightest line and Danny does just that. He is selfless and always positive, people like Danny are what it takes to build a winning culture and eventually a winning program. 

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

The biggest struggle that I was able to overcome was a feeling of self-doubt that I had as a freshman at Jewell. Like I said, I am used to winning, since I started as a freshman in high school and have never looked back. However, once I got to college I was hit by the harsh reality, that not everyone thought I was the best. It definitely affected my mentality because I was accustomed to being the guy, and when I was not, it really affected me. It took me a while, but I was able to overcome this feeling of self-doubt by controlling what I knew I could control, and that was how hard I worked in the weight room and at practice. I did everything I could to make sure I was ready, if they ever needed me to go in. I ended up playing in the last four games of the season and scored four touchdowns.

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

I am most proud of the work ethic I have put forth on the football field and in the classroom; I have improved tremendously in both areas. I have always loved football, so putting the work in physically was the easy part, but I have also improved my knowledge of the game. I have worked to understand how to watch film and prepare myself for games. Schoolwise, I have really improved my worth ethic and have all As and Bs the last three semesters at Jewell. My biggest achievement for football would have to be setting the state record for most career passing yards for Kansas highschool football. It was a goal I had set for myself as a freshman, to break a state record and I was able to do it in my last highschool football game.

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

In the last game of the season, we were down by four at Quincy with about a 2:30 left in the game. We drove down to their two yard-line and could not get in our first three tries and then we jumped offsides on our fourth down attempt. We called time-out and decided to do a RPO where I read the defensive end, and either handed the ball off or kept it, depending on what the defensive end did. We took the snap and the D-end crashed hard, so I pulled the ball and bounced outside. I was able to get into the corner of the endzone for the go ahead touchdown, with about 45 seconds left. The feeling I had when I got up and everyone was running towards me is something I will never forget.

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

If I didn’t play football I would like to think I would be a multi sport athlete in college, playing basketball and throwing Javelin. I did both in highschool and won a 6A Kansas State Championship my Junior year in Basketball. I did not have similar success throwing javelin, but I was able to place in the top four at every meet I was in and had a personal best of 158.7 feet.

What was your major/minor? Other than football, what would be your dream job?

I am double majoring in political science and communications, both have taught me valuable lessons. My dream job would be a sports agent representing professional athletes.

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What have you been working on in the off-season?

This off season has been huge for me so far, I was able to find a local trainer since players can not workout at Jewell. I have worked on becoming more explosive with cuts and also improving my footwork to help my accuracy. I know that this quarantine is going to set a lot of people back but I am not going to allow that to happen to me. I am focussing on eating healthy, getting faster, and becoming stronger to be ready for my senior season.

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

My favorite professional team is the Chiefs and I am lucky that I get to cheer for Patrick Mahome because he is my favorite player. He has only improved since entering the NFL and it inspires me to push myself. I know there are things I can be better at but I look at the best quarterbacks in the NFL currently and so does he and it reminds me to never settle. 

I would say that if my game was modeled after a player it would be another lefty, Steve Young. He was an accurate passer and was able to get the ball where it needed to go on the field. He also had the ability to make plays with his feet and be elusive in the pocket. Those are the aspects of my game that I pride myself in being accurate and making plays with my feet when necessary.

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

In my spare time I am definitely known to play some video games or go shoot hoops down at Jewell’s recreation center. I also have recently been able to work with my dad, who does home improvement, and I have learned a lot of trade skills like replacing siding and installing windows. I like to be busy. I usually do not feel comfortable doing nothing for long periods of time. My hobby currently is playing golf, I enjoy playing even though I am not very good at it, yet. I do not have any secret talents, but I was in multiple theatre productions in highschool and took several theatre classes. My senior year I was in an improv group and we wrote sketches that we performed similar to Saturday Night Live for live audiences.

Why do you play football?

I play football for a lot of reasons, first, I love to compete. There is nothing better than working hard for something and seeing that hard work paying off with a victory. Next, I love being on a team and football is the greatest team sport. It seems like the only sport that everyone could be doing their job but if one person makes a mistake, then you are either going to win or lose that play. Finally, football was the sport I knew at a young age, when I started playing flag football, that I wanted to be good at it. I worked extremely hard to be a college football player and have a scholarship that can help propel me further in life once football is over. 

Who or what motivates you the most?

I would say my parents motivate me the most, they have always been willing to sacrifice to give me opportunities. Growing up, they drove me to countless practices and quarterback training. They took me to all the camps, so I could compete against some of the best talent. They have always been supportive of me in anything that I have wanted to do in my life and that backing has been the biggest blessing. They motivate me to be my best because they have always done everything they could to help me succeed.