2022 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: DeAndre Dowdell, DB, Edinboro University

• Name: DeAndre’ Dowdell
• Position: Safety/Nickel
• College: Edinboro University
• Height: 5’10
• Weight: 190
• Twitter: deandredowdell2
• Instagram: deandredowdell2

What makes you a top prospect at your position  in the 2022 NFL Draft?

I believe what makes me a top prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft is my knowledge and understanding of the game. I believe I can read offensives and master playbooks rather quickly. My athleticism and play making ability are two other traits that make me a strong candidate for the 2022 nfl draft. Coming from a small high school (Christian Brothers Academy Syracuse) and now finishing up at a small college, I learned the want and desire becomes a little different when you have to struggle for it. Over the years I learned how to overcome a lot of adversity and had to fight for almost every inch I got. I feel like this instilled a passion in me that will take me far as a prospect.

At what age were you first interested in the sport of football?

I was first really interested in football my sophomore year of high school when I realized football was going to help me get to college. I don’t come from a poor family, but I wanted to make things as easy as possible for my parents so earning a scholarship became one of the most important things to me and that’s when football really became a big part of my life, and gradually I fell in love with the game more and more along the way.

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

One thing NFL teams should know about me is that I come with a chip on my shoulder. I’m no stranger to hard work and I’m used to having to struggle to succeed and get to where I want to be. I’m willing to do what it takes.

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be?

I would donate to the wildlife fun. I’ve always been an animal person and I struggle with watching the creatures that God created go extinct one by one.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I’ve ever received is that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains, but faith without work is dead. That taught me that faith only brings you part of the way, but you can’t depend on it to bring you the whole way. You have to stand on your own two feet and have the work you put in to achieve your goal match if not outweigh your faith.

Who was your childhood hero?

My childhood hero was my brother. The struggles and hardship he had to go through to get to where he is today changed my life. He pathed the way for me growing up and opened up my eyes to all the possibilities. He was burdened so much from being the older brother, all the hardships and problems he faced I was able to watch and learn from so I could go further in my career. I’ve never seen someone face as much hardship and still remain as happy and as positive as he did, which is the reason why his struggles weren’t in vain and he is so successful today. For that I admire him.

Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school?

The most underrated teammate in my locker room would probably be my boy Tarique smith. He is a DE that just finished his last season up at Edinboro alongside me. The season that he just had in the amount of games he played I believe deserves more credit and praise. He had 51 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 11.5 tfls in just 9 games.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

One of my biggest pet peeves is chewed up gum. I hate when someone sticks a piece of chewed up gun to a plate or wall or something and it’s visible to me.

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome?

The hardest moment in my life to overcome was getting hurt my junior year. I sustained a season ending injury to my knee the 4th game of the season which meant it was too late for me to receive a medical redshirt, but I would still be missing the remainder of the year. I felt like so much valuable time was being wasted and on top of that I was nervous that I wouldn’t be the same player I was. My coaching staff ended up being fired that year, so on top of that I had to go through the process of trying to reprove myself to a new coaching staff. Then Covid hit a year later so I had to miss another year. By then I was a senior about to graduate and I was considering hanging up my cleats and focusing on finishing school. So much time away from the game really takes a toll on you. But with a great supporting cast I came back my senior year to have one of the best seasons of my career awarding me with 1st team all-conference honors and opportunities to try and further my career after College. In a way I’m thankful for the adversity that I went through, I believe God has a plan for my life and that was an important chapter that I needed to go through as I keep going forward through this book called life.

Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you?

Something special about my school is the people that attend the University. I’ve made some relationships here that I know are going to last a lifetime. The bonds I created run deep and I’m thankful to the school for that.

What is your favorite snack food?

Fruit Pizza

What is the best part of football?

The best part about football is the relationships and memories you make with your teammates

If you could sell yourself in one sentence what would you say?

I would say you would be getting a player that will prove himself day in and day out on and off the field behind his actions not words.

If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be?

Tyrann Matthieu. We aren’t the biggest but we make up for it in other aspects of the game such as IQ and play making abilities.

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? Three people I would eat dinner with are my late grandfather just so I can see if I’m making him proud and hear him laugh one more time, my grandmother so she can see her husband again and I can have both my grandparents there together again, and my God-Brother so I could be at peace, I feel uneasy with all the deaths that I’ve been through in my family. I have regrets and things I wish I could rewind and have done differently like establishing a better relationship with my loved ones.