2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Darius Woods-Steichen, DE, MSU-Moorhead

• Name: ​Darius Woods-Steichen
• Height: ​6’3
• Weight:​ 280
• Position: ​Defensive End
• College: ​Minnesota State University, Moorhead
• Twitter: ​@2016darius23

What is the best restaurant in your hometown city?

• ​Pappys, it’s just a small town cafe that everyone loves.

When breaking down your film what will stick out?

• ​I think when breaking down my film you will find that my best asset is pass rushing. I‘ve put on some weight to help with stopping the run, but that really hasn’t slowed down my pass rush.

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

• ​I would try to help out my Mom with some of her bills and pay off some of the loans that I have.

What has been your biggest failure?

• ​Not being able to bring a state title back to my hometown before they combined.

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• ​I think they would say my best quality is staying positive in the negative times. Just knowing that every down has an up makes everything in life easier.

Who is the hardest working teammate on your team?

• ​I would say the hardest working teammate I have is my roommate Jordan. Nothing stops him from trying to get better and the drive to get better never leaves him.

Check out NFL Draft Diamonds 2021 Small School Rankings

Have you ever had a nickname? What is it?

• ​I have had a lot of nicknames, but the one I go by the most is Woody. All my teammates call me that and I think it’s a good nickname for me.

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

• ​My degree is in Criminal Justice. My dream job would be to be a counselor or something of that sort for juveniles.

What is your coolest life moment?

• ​My coolest life moment would probably have to be graduating high school and having all my family there and seeing the smiles on their faces made it even better.

What song would you sing at Karaoke night?

• ​I would sing almost any country song. I am a big country music guy.

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

• ​I am picking Leonardo Dicaprio only because he is my all-time favorite actor and whatever he is in is a great movie, so I know if he played me, it would be a banger of a movie.

Who is your favorite football team?

• ​Minnesota Vikings

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

• ​Mine would be very hard to piss off.

What is your biggest fear?

• ​Disappointing the people I love the most.

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL?

• ​Danielle Hunter because he never gets talked about even though he is one of the best young D-Ends in the game.

Take us through game day, How do you prepare?

• ​On a typical game-day I would get up for Walkthrough, go eat breakfast, come back for another Walkthrough, go eat lunch. Hang around with my roommates till it’s time to go to the locker room to get ready. Put on everything but my shoulder pads and helmet. Throw in some headphones and go lay on the couch, shut my eyes, and just visualize myself making plays on the field. After that, we go out for pregame and get it going.

Do you have any hobbies?

• ​My hobbies would be playing slow pitch softball, hanging with my roommates and playing video games.

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

• ​I would say Danielle Hunter because he is a great pass rusher and that is how I want to be. He is also my favorite player so I got to go with him.

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

• ​I would say my biggest influence would be my mom. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for me and my siblings. She is the strongest person I know and the first person I go to whenever I need advice.

What motivates you to work hard?

• ​What motivates me the most is knowing people back home are counting on me to succeed. There are a lot of kids that need something/someone to look up to and see that they too can be successful no matter what kind of environment they grow up in.