NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Mikhail Dubose, DE, University of Northern Colorado

NFL Draft Diamonds has been bringing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed up the questions and added some fun questions for our readers. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the player. We hope to bring you more than 350 interviews of NFL Draft Prospects this season. You will be able to track them all on the front page of our website in the banner to the right.  Now let’s meet the prospect!!!!

What is your name?

Mikhail Dubose

What is your Height/Weight? 

6’2/245

What is your position? 

Defensive end/Outside linebacker

Where do you play college football?

University of Northern Colorado

Football is about giving back, what is the coolest thing you have done off the field? 

Having a group of middle school kids come up for a game and just being able to see how excited and happy they were to see us play.

What was the hardest college class you ever had to take?

Biology 245 Lab

Where are you from?

Chicago, Illinois

Who is your role model, and why?

My mother, because she always pushes me to the best I can do, even when I think I’m at my highest she thinks that I can go higher. 

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Baseball & Basketball

Did you play any other positions in football?

Quarterback, running back and slot/Tight end

At your position, what separates you from others?

Football IQ, my strike, first step, and just being physical at the point of attack.

When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?

Opponents tendencies, pass and rush techniques, how they shoot their hands, can they handle cross face movements, how intelligent are they. Do they finish or go to the whistle.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

Brandon Scherff from Iowa University

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

Dwight Freeney, because he is a smaller guy and great at what he does. He is powerful, quick, smart and loves the game.

What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?

When I was shot and paralyzed in my right my sophomore year of high school. With hardwork and determination to prove the people who told me what I could not do. So I attacked every day of my treatment with a chip on my shoulder.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

No not really.

What is your biggest strength?

My grit for the game

What is your biggest weakness?

Having short arms!

If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say? 

I come from a small school, I know there’s always going be a question mark as to why? My why is that from Chicago, IL south side Englewood, so overcoming adversity is all I know and it makes you hard nosed. I love the game and I’m passionate about what I do, I’m not the biggest nor am I the smallest. But what separates me is that I play with “Heart work”, while others try to survive off of hard work. I play with passion, freedom and love for the game. In your eyes I’m a risk but in my eyes why not me, I didn’t come from the big named school where everyone knows about, so that means I’m going to work even harder to even get to that stage. Last but not least I’ve played at the Fbs level and held my own against some of the best!  So why not me?

Who was your favorite player and/or NFL team growing up?

Lawrence Taylor & Patriots

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?

The man above, My grandmother and Grandfather. 

What will be the first big item you buy once you are in the NFL?

I plan on investing and putting my money away, but definitely move my mom out of Chicago and buy her a house.

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