NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2023 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Masry Mapieu, DT, McNeese State University

Masry Mapieu the standout defensive tackle from McNeese State University recently sat down with Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot
Masry Mapieu the standout defensive tackle from McNeese State University recently sat down with Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot
  • Name: Masry Mapieu 
  • Position: Defensive Tackle 
  • College: McNeese State University 
  • Height: 6’5
  • Weight: 285
  • Twitter: @Mmasrym
  • Instagram: @mazzzy_0

What makes you a top prospect at your position  in the 2023 NFL Draft

What makes me a top NFL prospect in the 2023 draft, is my work ethic. I was a 3-Star Prospect in High-school, I finished my college football career with over 70 tackles, I made first team all conference and I will be the first in my family to graduate with a college degree. I am fierce competitor and a hard worker on and off the field. My goal is to get better everyday to be a student of the game and an athlete that is coachable, trustworthy and always willing to learn. I love the game of football and it is my ultimate goal to play in the NFL, therefore I am willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish my dream. 

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

I fell in love with the sport of football at a young age, I was about 8 years old when I first started watching the game, around age 13 I started to learn the sport and have a better understanding of the sport. As a young kid daily I watched film of Jerome Brown and Reggie White, I studied the way in which they played the game, I paid close attention to their bull rush moves, their ability to attack the offensive lineman to make plays, I studied their speed rushes, stunts and their sack coverage along with their attitudes on and off the field. Quickly I was inspired by the game, I knew I wanted to be play, I knew I wanted to be a student of the game and replicate my game in the same way other tenacious athletes were doing and have done. 

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

I want NFL teams know that I am capable of playing in this league, I have the mental and physical strength along with a winning attitude to be a strong competitor on any team. I am consistently looking for ways to improve, by studying my film and my opponents film, I am working daily to get stronger, faster and smarter. I have a go-get mentality and I am a leader on and off the field who is willing to do the work to be better than my competition. I love to win but I hate to lose and that is my attitude each day, a constant critique of my game. 

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

I would donate to the community of South Sudan, which is where me and my family are from. South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world, the people of South Sudan have been internally oppressed due to the many wars the country has had to fight in, most recent the civil world that killed many of the Sudanese people including some of my family members who fought in this war. Sudanese people have been displaced from their families, the children lack the proper tools to receive an adequate education and the people in this country struggle daily to have enough food and water to survive. 

I would donate to this community to help improve the way of life for the people and the country that my mother and father were born in. People in South Sudan don’t have the same opportunities that we do in America, so if I could donate to this country to help bring a glimpse of hope to their world I would in a heartbeat. 

What is the best advice you have ever received? 

The best advice I received was from my dad in the beginning of my football career and advice he shares with me daily, “keep striving for your goals, there is always someone watching you and waiting for you to fail don’t give them the satisfaction” and then he would ask me, “what does that mean, Son, don’t give anyone the fulfillment to see you not succeed in life”, this made me work and want to work 10 times harder everyday. I recognize my competition is always working, there is someone always watching and I want to be the competitor who is always finding a way to outwork my opponent. 

Who was your childhood hero? 

My childhood hero was Warren Sapp, Warren was a dominate competitor, he was a dog, a fighter,  he had a tenacious attitude on the field, he instilled fear in his opponents simply because he dominated his pass rush moves attacking the line and finding ways to own the game and make sacks. Especially during one of his college bowl games against Nebraska, I later watched this film, during the game he forced a 3 and out, completed a number of tackles and the team won the bowl game. 

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

The most underrated teammate at my school is Cole McClair, Cole is an offensive lineman that worked his tail off everyday during practice we had and every workout we had, during games he would create large holes for our star running back Deonta McMahon to create an opportunity for him to score. At the end of the season Deonta was selected as our offensive player of the year in the southland conference. Cole played a major role in Deonta’s  success and stardom at Mcneese as our running back. While Cole wasn’t an award winner, had it not been for his work on and off the field, Deonta wouldn’t have been able to excel in the ways he did. 

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

My biggest pet peeve, are people who make excuses and lack accountability. I raised to understand that, excuses are tools of incompetence used by monuments of nothingness those who excel in excuses seldom excel in anything. 

When one makes excuses they lack accountability, they lack ownership and responsibility. I pride myself on being a responsible, accountable trustworthy man who leads a life of integrity and I surround myself with others who are doing the same. 

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

While I have been faced with many adversities in my life one of the hardest adversities my family and I had to overcome was when my Mom had a stroke in 2018. My Mom sacrificed everything for me and my 9 siblings so we could have a better life, when she had a stroke she almost lost her life as a result of her stroke she struggles to talk, she struggles to walk and she struggles completing the daily life activities you and I take for granted. My Mom is a fighter she is warrior and for her I will fight and I will continue to be solider to make her and my family proud. 

As for me personally another adversity I had to overcome was going into foster care at age 12, unfortunately my parents did not have the resources to properly provide and care for me and my 9 siblings, so I went in to foster care in hopes to have a better chance at survival. 

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

Playing at Mcneese has changed my life I have had the opportunity to get on the field, make plays and learn even more about who I am as a person. Football teaches you how to be responsible, accountable, tough, how to have structure and discipline, how to give respect on and off the field and how to overcome adversity. 

All these lessons Mcneese taught me were extremely valuable and special to me because I was able to grow up and be a better person, I learned how to be a better man. I met some of my best friends here and fostered relationships here that will last me life time. 

What is your favorite snack food? 

Chips Queso and Salsa, I would eat this everyday if I could! 

What is the best part of football? 

The best part about football is the opportunity to compete, win games, win championships, make friends, find mentors. The best part about football is the teamwork, the team bonding the ability the game has to teach to be a stronger faster smarter and even harder worker off the field as well, the best about football is it teaches you how to be structured and disciplined in life.

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

I am solider, I am warrior, I live, breathe, eat, think, sleep, football, I strive to be the best, I believe I can play amongst the best to have an opportunity to play in the NFL is my ultimate goal, any team that believes in me enough to give me an opportunity to play, will never regret their decision. 

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

DeForest Buckner 

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

Reggie White, Lebron James, Serena Williams. All three of these people to me embody characteristics of the person I strive to be daily. Smart, dedicated, accountable, business-savvy professionals that have proven to be one of the best at their crafts on and off the field/court. I would want the opportunity to pick their brain to be able to talk to them about their routines, get a better understanding of their habits and what it is that they potentially do that the public doesn’t necessarily know, that has helped them to be as successful as they are today. 

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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