2022 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Jack Maddox, LS, Clemson

• Name: Jack Maddox
• Position: Long Snapper
• College: Clemson
• Height: 6’3
• Weight: 240
• Twitter: jmadds_00
• Instagram: jackmaddox_44

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

• I believe my career at Clemson has prepared me for the big moment of playing at the professional level. I was lucky enough to play in some very big games and in some hostile environments, while also playing well and making an impact beyond just my snapping duties. Along with my natural size and athletic ability, I believe this combination makes me a top long snapping prospect.

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

• I have always been in love with the game of football. However, I didn’t start playing until my freshman year of high school. Playing three sports in high school, I realized my best opportunity to play collegiately was to play football. It was also my childhood dream to be able to play at a big-time time college football program and then have a shot to play at the professional level. I have been lucky enough to live out and continue to pursue my personal dream.

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

• I am currently pursuing my MBA at Clemson. I take pride in being a well-rounded individual and providing myself with as many different opportunities as possible even if playing football at the next level does not work out.

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

• I was the chapter president for the Uplifting Athletes organization while at Clemson. Uplifting Athletes aims to use the platform of college football to raise awareness for the rare disease. I know firsthand how much this organization does for the student-athletes that participate, but most importantly the impact that is felt by the patients and families of the rare disease community. Being able to help drive funds and be a voice for a patient community that is often overlooked in the funding world I believe is a worthy cause. 

What is the best advice you have ever received?

• “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. It is an Albert Einstein quote that is a huge reminder for me in times of hardship.

Who was your childhood hero?

• My childhood hero was Ashton Eaton, the former two-time Olympic decathlon champion and current world record holder. Growing up in a track family and having my own track background having a hero in the track and field world was only fitting. I admired his ability to consistently win at the highest level and I personally think that the Olympic decathlon champion is the best athlete in the world.

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

• I would say, Baylon Spector. I came into Clemson with Baylon and nobody works harder than him. He has a very reserved nature and only calls attention to himself by the way he plays on the field. He doesn’t get the press notoriety that many do but he has twice the impact on the game. I would also add Davis Allen who is similar to Baylon in that his play on the field does the talking. Both also come from the great metropolis of Calhoun, Georgia.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

• My biggest pet peeve would be two things, traffic and a lack of urgency among people, which sometimes correlate. I enjoy having downtime and the ability to turn off for a period, however, when it’s time to work I am all in. People that can’t tell the difference between the two tend to get on my nerves in the nicest way possible.

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

• The hardest moment of my life was in the spring of 2019. I was aiming to be the starting snapper going into my redshirt sophomore year. I really struggled in spring practice due to putting too much pressure on myself and not having my own mental process. Struggling that whole spring had a huge effect on my mood and my outlook on my career at Clemson. It turned out to be the best thing for me because it challenged me to work on the mental side of being a specialist which is the hardest part of the job. Going through all that adversity allowed me to have the mental part of being a long snapper while under pressure became the strong suit of my game which allowed me to then burst onto the scene when I earned the starting position.

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

• At Clemson, we place a huge emphasis on culture and doing the common things in an uncommon way. From leaving movie theatres at away games spotless, not wearing hats in meetings, and several other subtle details, they are a huge reason why we have success at Clemson. What I always enjoyed about our program is the privilege to pass along these ways of doing things to younger guys as they enter the program.

What is your favorite snack food?

• Tortilla Chips and Guacamole

What is the best part of football?

• The camaraderie you develop with teammates from the work you put in during the nine months you are not playing. The big games and the atmospheres are hard to replicate but relationships with teammates are hard to beat.

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

• My personal “why” is to be the best version of myself at all times and with that, I thrive in competing at the highest level in whatever I do.

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

• I would say in the long snapping world Pat Scales, the snapper for the Chicago Bears. We have very similar builds being bigger guys. We also share the same snapping instructor in Snap Doctor. 

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?

• Winston Churchill, I have also been a big fan of his leadership style during the dark days of WWII and I have done a lot of reading about him. Matthew McConaughey, I think story time with him would be unmatched especially after reading his book Green Lights. Finally, I would pick Abraham Lincoln due to the fact that as a individual few people could endure what he had to during his presidency.