NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Brett McMakin, LB, University of Northern Iowa

NFL Draft Diamonds and our staff have been bringing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 2 years and this year we mixed up the questions and added some fun questions for our readers. We have tons of NFL staff that read our interviews, and we actually received several of the questions from NFL scouts we speak too. This gives them a little bit more information regarding your character. We hope to bring you more than 300 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.

What is your name? 

Brett McMakin

What is your Height/Weight? 

6’4″ 240lbs

What is your position?

Inside and Outside Linebacker

Where do you play college football? 

Northern Iowa

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

Coaching at UNI’s kids camps in the offseason!

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

Biopsychology 

Where are you from? 

Overland Park, Kansas

Who is your role model, and why? 

Sean Taylor- he’s a great inspiration the the game I love most 

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

Basketball baseball and Golf for fun

Did you play any other positions in football? 

Tight end  

At your position, what separates you from others?

My size, my “slipperiness” when engaging blocker and my ball savviness

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

Personnel, formation and player tendencies

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

Cooper Kupp from Eastern Washington

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

Clay Matthews- because I’m versatile and can play both ILB and OLB effectively

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

I think moving so far from home for college and having to make new friends was one of the hardest for me. Over time I got more comfortable and Cedar Falls ended up being the place I called home

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

None

What is your biggest strength?

I’m highly motivated

What is your biggest weakness?

Chocolate cake

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

All I ask is for a single opportunity for you and your staff to witness what I’m capable of.

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

Sean Taylor was favorite player and the Chiefs were my favorite NFL team.

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

Ronald Reagan, Bill Murray and Rob Gronkowski

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

I’ll save it for a long and happy retirement.