2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Isaac Schley, TE, Sam Houston State

• Name: Isaac Schley
• Height: 6’5”
• Weight: 255 lbs
• Position: TE
• College: Sam Houston State University
• Twitter: @IsaacSchley
• Instagram: schlisaac

What is your major/minor? During your collegiate experience, have you participated in any other activities or campus organizations other than football?
I am currently pursuing a masters in public health. During my undergrad, I got the opportunity to experience two separate internships in hospital administration both for class and independently in Colorado and DC to get a feel for the roles of hospital administration and gain experience for the professional world. I’m also involved in a Bible study group, which I helped lead and organize at Georgetown, and am excited to start back up here at Sam Houston State. 

What do your teammates say is your best quality?
I think my best quality as described by teammates has evolved as I’ve grown and gone through college. I strived to be known as the guy who worked hard to be a selfless teammate and do what needed to be done for the good of the team. Now that I’m at Sam Houston State, I’m in my 5th year so obviously I’m older than a lot of my teammates. As much as my teammates joke that I’m old I think it is also one of the best qualities if you were to ask them, and with that “old age” comes wisdom from experience and lessons learned elsewhere. 

What kind of role do you see yourself in on the team? What scheme and/or position suits your skill set?
At Georgetown, the TE was critical to the rushing game. I’m proud to say that we averaged 140 yards on the ground per game and that I had a huge role in that. I laughed when I got 2nd team all conference as fullback instead of TE. With that being said, I know that I have a skill set that is capable of both propelling the rushing game forward and attacking through the air. I’m excited about the scheme we run here at Sam Houston State because I will continue to be a catalyst for the rushing game, but also have been incorporated into the passing game a lot more which I believe fits my skill set well. I’m a multi-dimensional TE, and I will be used that way here. 

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college?
I won’t lie, the best player I had to play against was probably my own teammate Khristian Tate at Georgetown. We would use him anywhere from nose to a 5 technique, and he made my life miserable when I had to solo block him in practice anytime he lined up in a 4 or 5 technique. He is one of the strongest human beings I have ever met. Watching him move 320 pound offensive lineman with ease made me feel a little better about how he moved me.

Throughout your career, which one of your teammates has impressed you the most?
Michael Dereus has probably impressed me the most. He came to Georgetown and immediately made an impact as a freshman. We were lifting partners throughout our time at Georgetown and every day was a competition. He had a relentless drive to him and always worked hard. Watching him grow from freshman year until now it doesn’t surprise me that the Ravens wanted a guy like him, and I know he’ll be successful in Baltimore.

Describe a time in your life when you were able to overcome a struggle.
A struggle we’re all going through right now is this coronavirus disrupting normal life. I had been at my new school for less than two months, so I was still trying to learn names and make friends and meet teammates, when they canceled all football activities and closed facilities. So here I was in a new town with a small social circle and 3 months of training without a weight room or strength coach. I panicked for a little while, but thought back to how we trained with my trainer back home in Colorado, and got creative. I went and bought some sandbags, a sledgehammer, and found a tire, and brought one of my friends here in Huntsville out to a field and we worked ourselves hard. I came out of that with a higher GPA, my muscle mass maintained and at my goal weight, and moving better than when I went in. 

If you didn’t play football, what other sport would you play?
I would probably play baseball. I gave it up when I was still in little league because I wanted more time over the summer to go camping and off-roading with my family and to put more effort into football. I also wish I would have tried lacrosse. It’s a high-speed collision sport, and I think that would have been a lot of fun to play if I hadn’t played football.

What is something that you are most proud of? What would you say is your biggest achievement?
I’m most proud of graduating from Georgetown University. I played a varsity D1 sport, and managed to graduate in 3.5 years from a prestigious school. It was a hard experience and a lot of sacrifices were made, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Being the first in my family to graduate from college meant a lot to me and to be able to take advantage of the sacrifices my parents made to get me there meant even more. 

Describe one of the most memorable plays of your collegiate career.
My junior year at Georgetown we played Lehigh at home. We had never beaten Lehigh, ever. It was an intense game and ended up going to double overtime. We got down to our possession in the second overtime, and we had been running power successfully the entire fourth quarter, which meant me and the DE were pitted against each other. At this point we were both fatigued, but no one had quit yet. We line up to run power yet again, and when I hit him I felt his fight leave him. Jackson Saffold busted a long run to the goal line, and we lined up to run power again. With his fight gone, I knew we were going to walk into the end zone, and that’s exactly what we did. Those two blocks on power were the most memorable for me because we beat Lehigh at home for the first time in our school’s history in double overtime. 

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 Denver Broncos. I grew up in Colorado watching them every weekend and attending games. I was at the AFC championship in 2006 when we lost to Pittsburgh, and it broke my heart. That was our year. But watching Super Bowl 50 was one of my favorite games that I’ve watched them play.

As for a player I model my game after, I would say George Kittle. He is still young and just recently popped up into stardom, but the sheer dominance he plays with is something every TE should strive to be like.

Check out NFL Draft Diamonds 2021 Small School Rankings

Who is your favorite music artist? What gets you pumped before a game?
Old Lil Wayne and Drake is the way to go to get pumped before a game. I’m Goin In is the last song I play before every game. If that song doesn’t make you want to hit something then I don’t know what to tell you.

What is your favorite comfort food?
My favorite comfort food is a tough one. But take-out chinese food, particularly hot and sour soup, warms my soul. Long day? This will relax you. Cold winter night? Boom, warm. Hot summer night after summer workouts? You feel immediately better. 

Do you have a favorite movie or actor?
Bradley Cooper. American Sniper, The Hangover, the man can do it all. And also he is a Georgetown alumni.

What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any hobbies? Any secret talents?
I like to cook. I have to eat so much anyway for football, I might as well make it taste good and I enjoy doing it. 

Who or what motivates you the most?
I believe that God has given me the ability to play football and the opportunity to do so while going to school to study what I enjoy. If you have been given gifts, I feel that you are obligated to maximize those gifts you have been given. I strive to be the best I can be, and that is the motivation I have. I’ve been given the gift to play football and only for a limited time, so I want to be the best I can be. You never know, it could take you further than you thought.