NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Mathu Gibson Jr., OL, Wingate University
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?
Mathu Gibson, Jr.
What is your Height/Weight?
6”5 292 lbs.
What is your position?
Left Tackle
Where do you play college football?
Wingate University
Football is about giving back, what is the coolest thing you have done off the field?
I was given the opportunity to plan a service project to South Florida during Spring Break to help educate at-risk youth about the importance of college.
What was the hardest college class you ever had to take?
Statistics; I’m not a Math person
Where are you from?
Winston-Salem, NC
Who is your role model, and why?
My mother; she taught me that with faith and hard work anything is possible. She’s an amazing woman.
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Basketball and Track & Field
Did you play any other positions in football?
Defensive End in high school
At your position, what separates you from others?
My athleticism; it allows me to compete at a high level
When you are breaking down film, what do you look for?
I look to see who is the guy that will be lining up in front of me and his tendencies and if has he has a motor. Then I look at the rest of the D-Line, and then the defense as a whole to find out what schemes they run. I also look to see who’s their best player on defense.
Who was the toughest player you ever faced?
Troy Harris- DE Mars Hill; this guy had a crazy motor, you definetly had to bring you’re “A” game.
If you could compare your play to one player in the NFL who would it be and why?
Tyron Smith: We have similar body types (athletic build), he’s not fat at all, just jacked! He is also the best Tackle in the league, and I try to mimic my game after him.
What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?
Growing up without a father; fortunately, I was able to have a few strong male role models to help guide and support me through my most vulnerable years. Playing sports, wanting to go to college, and making my mother proud provided the fuel I needed to push past my obstacles. I never wanted to use growing up without a father as an excuse for anything, instead that obstacle turned into a stepping-stone for success in my life.
Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Listening to Bob Marley, sitting in the hot tub for 15 min, and warming up on the field
As a small school football player what obstacles do you feel you have to overcome?
The speed of the game would take some getting used to.
What is your biggest strength?
My Technique and work ethic
What is your biggest weakness?
My weight; putting on weight was a long process coming into college at 240. Through hard work I entered my Senior camp at 295 feeling better than ever. So now, I’m beginning to learn how to use my weight, and break old habits I use to do because I overcompensated for being underweight.
If I were a GM and gave you a second to sell yourself, what would you say?
You will never regret signing a player like me, because my mindset is to outwork everyone and I will be a great leader in the locker room. Every day I’ll be out there getting better and bringing great energy.
Who was your favorite player and/or NFL team growing up?
My favorite player: Julius Peppers/ Favorite Team: Carolina Panthers
If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would you choose?
Bob Marley, Jesus, and Michael Jordan
With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy?
I would pay all my mom’s bills, my student loans, and then buy a car
Rapid Answers:
- Spongebob or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
- Backstreet Boys or One Direction?
- Lifetime Channel or HGTV?
- Waffles or Pancakes?
- Snakes or Spiders?
- Madden or Mario?
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