2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: C.J. Towns, DB, Ashland University

• Name: C.J. Towns 
• Height: 6’0
• Weight: 190
• Position: CB/S
• College: Ashland University 
• Twitter: @Cjtowns3

What is the best restaurant in your hometown city? 

• With Columbus, Ohio being my hometown I would have to say Eddys Chicken & Waffles. 

When breaking down your film what will stick out? 

• I pride myself on my instincts and toughness. Many of the best athletes around have every attribute in the book, but it is nearly useless if you cannot fly around and be a football player. My junior year I transitioned from cornerback to safety midseason to help out our team, though it was a position I never played at the college level, my natural talents helped me succeed and better our team. 

If you won the lotto, what is the first thing you would do with the money? 

• The first thing I would do with the money is to buy my parent’s a new home, they deserve it for all of their sacrifices for me. 

What has been your biggest failure? 

• My biggest failure has been being cut from my middle school basketball team both 7th and 8th grade. When I got cut it was the worse feeling I felt, I was lost for words telling my father but he told me to not give up. Those experiences alone shaped me into the person I am today and I have a permanent chip on my shoulder, I can do anything I put my heart and mind to. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• They would say leading by example is my best quality. Starting my college career as a walk-on I had no choice but to do everything in my power to go up in the rankings and now that I am where I’m at now I still approach the game the same ways. 

Who is the hardest working teammate on your team?

• Logan Bolin, coming in the same year as me I have never seen a player go through as much perseverance on the field as he has. Bolin somehow always finds a way to continue pushing forward and contributing to the team. 

Have you ever had a nickname? What is it?

• Pogo, at birth my parents gave me the nickname and it will stick with me for life. any family calls me pogo.

Check out NFL Draft Diamonds 2021 Small School Rankings

What is your degree in, if you do not make it as a football player, what is your dream job? 

•Bachelors in Sport Management, if I do not make it as a football player I want to work as a Brand Specialist for Nike.

What is your coolest life moment? 

• My coolest life moment would be recently graduating college with my Bachelor’s in Sport Management. It is very significant to me because I am the first person in my family that I know has graduated from college. 

What song would you sing at Karaoke night? 

• Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe

If you could pick any actor to play you in a movie, who are you picking? 

• I would pick a prime Denzel Washington. His portfolio of great movies is endless and he can play any role. 

Who is your favorite football team? 

• Seattle Seahawks

If you had a warning label, what would yours say?

• “Proceed with caution, I’m an ambivert (introverted and extroverted)”

What is your biggest fear? 

• Being unsuccessful and not being able to provide for my family. They deserve the world. 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Marshon Lattimore 

Take us through game day, How do you prepare? 

• I start my days with praying. Throughout the day I try to chill and relax because that’s when I am at my best. Without purposely doing it I find myself visualizing the game in my head. A key component to my game day preparation is my choice of music, I typically listen to relaxing music until my equipment is on then I listen to turn up the music. 

Do you have any hobbies? 

• My biggest hobby would be video games. Anything sports, in general, is a big hobby of mine. 

If you had to compare yourself to someone in the NFL, who would that be? 

• Tyrann Mathieu. Since I was younger watching him at LSU I saw myself in him. None of his attributes on paper stand out but his instincts allow him to be one of the best playmakers there is. 

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

• My parents have been the biggest influence. The sacrifices they have made to help me prepare myself for life are endless. I cannot count how many times they have helped me with a situation or how many lessons they have taught me. They motivate me to work as hard as I can every day. 

What motivates you to work hard?

• Besides my parents, what motivates me to work hard is being the best. Personally I feel that I would not be playing this sport if I wasn’t striving to be the best. I also want to be the best version of myself.