NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Jaelon Acklin, WR, Western Illinois
What is your name?
Jaelon Acklin
What is your Height/Weight?
6’2 190 lbs.
What is your position?
WR
Where do you play college football?
Western Illinois University
Where are you from?
Mountain View, MO
Who is your role model, and why?
Cristiano Ronaldo. He is never content and commits his life to being the best.
Who was your favorite teacher?
Adam Mattison (Kinesiology)
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Basketball, Track, and Baseball.
Who was the toughest player you ever faced?
Tre Dempsey (NDSU)
Who is the most underrated player on your team?
Sam Crosa (PK)
What is the one song that would fire you up before the biggest game of your life?
The Race- Tay K
If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why?
Adam Thielen. Same body type and movement through routes. Pro day numbers are comparable as well.
What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?
Mom being diagnosed with breast cancer. I overcame it by learning to not take anything for granted and committing myself to being the best player and person that I can possibly be.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Not any rituals. Before the game, I like to go around the locker room and talk to my teammates to try and loosen them up. I might even crack a couple jokes here and there.
What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?
Scoring the game-winning touchdown against UNI on their homecoming.
What is the coolest thing you ever did off the field for someone else?
The coolest thing that I’ve been able to do is to send kids gear, along with an autograph. I have had kids from Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami send me messages saying that they would love my autograph or some gear for their birthday. I love making a positive impact on peoples’ lives.
Who was your favorite NFL team growing up?
Denver Broncos.
If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Genghis Khan, and Conor McGregor
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