NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Tristan Thomas, LB, Pacific Lutheran University

Tristan Thomas
Tristan Thomas the play making linebacker prospect from Pacific Lutheran University recently sat down with Justin Berendzen of NFL Draft Diamonds
  • Name: Tristan Thomas
  • Position: LB
  • College: Pacific Lutheran University 
  • Height: 6′ 1″
  • Weight: 235 lbs 
  • Twitter: @tristanthomas44

1.What are your favorite moments from your football life?

  • Most definitely all the people I have gotten the chance to get to know and be a part of my life because of football. I’ll forever cherish the memories made throughout my years at PLU with my teammates, and that’s something you can’t find anywhere else.

2.What is your favorite dinner?

  • Breakfast for dinner.

3.What is your mindset when you are on the football field?

  • To play at 98% speed, and beat the man in front of me. The idea is to play fast but under control. I stick to my job and do my part in the defense, as well as letting my instinct tell me when taking those calculated risks which lead to big plays but always doing my job first.

4. How has your experience as a Pacific Lutheran University Lutes player been?

  • I’m just glad that I chose to go to PLU because of the relationships formed at this school. I made the decision to go here because of the strong team atmosphere and closeness all the guys have with each other. It’s truly a one of a kind place to play football at. We have a whole lot of fun playing the game we all love. The best way I can describe it is when somebody makes a big play, the whole team is just as excited as if they had made that play themselves.

5.If you can live anywhere in the world where and why?

  • Definitely would be in the Pacific Northwest. There’s no place like it and it’s the place I call home. I do enjoy traveling and exploring new areas but my roots will always be in the PNW.

Check out NFL Draft Diamonds 2021 Small School Rankings

6.If your life was a tv show what would you call it and why?

  • The tv show would be called Life of a College Kid because it consists of me doing homework, working, and working out, that’s about it!

7.What is your favorite workout?

  • Weight room wise, I’m definitely a hang clean guy. Most applicable to football and one of my best lifts.

8.What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

  • I started playing in second grade, and ever since I have been in love with the game. There’s no other game like it that demands so much out of you and your teammates working together mentally and physically.  I came to PLU originally to play both baseball and football, but after my first year in the fall, I knew that I wanted to give 100% of my time and energy to football from then on, and spend as much time with those guys as I could.

9.What has been your biggest challenge in life?

  • My biggest challenge would definitely be breaking my collarbone week 1 of my senior year. I felt like my whole season had been taken from me after I had worked so hard in the offseason to be ready to make a big statement for my last year. I had been talking to some bigger schools, who were excited to see me play that final year, but after not being able to show them what I could do, none took much of an interest. However, I think that everything happens for a reason, and as much as that sucked, I don’t think I’d be at PLU today and have met the amazing people I have met if it hadn’t happened.

10.What would a team get in a player like you?

  • A team gets a guy that comes to practice every day with the same intensity, and somebody who pushes others around them to be the best that they can be. No matter which sport I’ve played, young as a kid, all through college, I have won awards for the most inspirational, most valuable player, and have been the captain on those teams because of the high standard I hold for myself and my teammates. Following up on that, I think there are times where you have to let others lead, and I have learned to embrace the role of being the first follower when necessary, which I believe is more important in most cases than being a leader. No matter what it is, I’m giving 100% commitment to the team, and I’m going to give it my best shot to help the team in whatever way I can.

11.If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day who and why?

  • I would choose Walter Payton because of the outstanding person he was off the field. He also demanded the most out of his teammates and brought the intensity to practice that was needed in order to be great. I’d love to be able to sit down and talk with him about what motivates him and how he came to be the man he was.

12.What do you hope to accomplish if you make it into the NFL?

  • It’s crazy to even hear that, it would be a dream come true to make it onto a team. I never thought it would be possible going to a small school to have the chance to be a part of an organization, but I know my one wish would be to do everything I possibly can to help the organization. On top of that, it would be an amazing thing to be able to ensure that my family is taken care of financially, for the rest of their lives.

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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