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NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Ruben Demosthene, LB, Southern Nazarene University

Ruben is a physical freak. This kid is a specimen on and off the field
Ruben Demosthene is a physical freak. This kid is a specimen on and off the field

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?

My name is Ruben Demosthene.

What is your Height/Weight?

I am 6’4 and 245 lbs

What is your position?

I play both Defensive End and Outside Linebacker.

Where do you play college football?

I attend Southern Nazarene University.

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

Football is about giving back, but I also believe that life is about giving back as well. I remember times where I didn’t have a dime to get back home and nights where I would go without eating because I just didn’t have any money to eat. The coolest thing I would have to say I’ve done off the field is giving money and food, when possible, to anyone who is in need. I remember I was downtown (Manhattan, NY) and it was freezing this one particular December night and I literally had only $40 dollars to my name and this woman came up to me crying and begging how she was stuck and couldn’t get home because she didn’t have any money to and how she was all alone. My now ex-girlfriend was with me at the time and told me that she was just lying and not to give her anything but I remembered the days where I was stranded and wished anyone would help me so there was no way I could turn my back on her. I gave her everything that I had on me. I will never forget the look she gave me that night. But i felt better being able to help this lady get back home.

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

The hardest class I have taken thus far would probably be Statistical Methods.

Where are you from?

I am from Spring Valley, New York. Born and raised.

Who is your role model, and why?

My role model is my older brother, Dodley, and my mother. They have both taught me that hard work always pays off. A woman born in Haiti gave birth to four boys and struggled to raise them but always found a way to get it done. My mother is the hardest working woman and strongest woman I know. As for my brother, he is a part of the reason i actually fell in love with the game. I remember back when I was about 13, he would wake me up early in the morning and force me to go to the high school and run bleachers and train. My brother has been through hell and back but never gave up. He always found a way to make things happen, even when his back was against the wall. He is the one who has molded me to the man I am today.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Growing up, I used to play basketball, but I wasn’t very good at it. Also, my brother introduced me to track in the 8th grade and in high school.

Did you play any other positions in football?

In high school, I played wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, and outside linebacker, but once I hit the collegiate level, I just stuck to defense and played DE and OLB.

At your position, what separates you from others?

What separates me from others is I am versatile. I can play both defensive end and outside linebacker because I have speed and I am pretty mobile. At the defensive end position, I lack in size but I put in the work to get me wherever I need to be at either position.

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

When I am breaking down film, I look for foot work, tendencies/habits, hands, and how fast the offensive lineman moves. I also watch for what arm the quarterback throws with, which side of the field he likes to run to more and is more comfortable with and how the running back runs once he gets the ball and how good of a blocker he is when he isn’t touching the ball.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

I have played in two different conferences and also played at the JUCO level, I’ve went up against a lot of great opponents. None have been the toughest thus far.

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

If I could compare my play and myself to one player in the NFL right now it would have to be Jason Pierre Paul because of all the adversities he has had to go through and the way he works both on and off the field.

ruben1What was the biggest obstacle in your life you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?

I have had to overcome a lot of obstacles throughout my life time but the most monumental obstacle I had to overcome in the sense of my future was being dismissed from school due to grades. Every school I reached out to after high school loved my film but due to the fact that I was dismissed for grades and only had one year of eligibility left, it wasn’t a good decision for any school to pick me up. It got to a point where I was beginning to lose hope. I just kept praying and never stopped training and working out. I believe that coming to SNU was a blessing in disguise because my friend was being recruited by this school but he ended up signing with a school in North Carolina and told SNU about my situation. They reached out to me and got a hold of my tape and it was history from there!

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

My pre-game ritual is to watch some last minute film the night before and to start getting my mind right. I wake up on game day and say my prayers and thank the Lord for another day, watch a couple Eric Thomas motivational videos, then put my head phones on and zone out to Jay Z.

What is your biggest strength?

My strengths are my size and speed, athleticism, my determination, and my ability to motivate my team. I am also a very ambitious man and my work ethic is very strict and I am always willing to learn more and work harder.

What is your biggest weakness?

My weaknesses are also my size and the fact that I sometimes over work myself and dwell on the past too much. One thing about the game of football is one must have short term memory.

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

If I only had a second to sell myself to a GM i would say, “My name is Ruben Demosthene and I am the hardest working man you will ever encounter. I guarantee I will perform to a level that will surpass any expectations I set for myself along with the expectations the team has for me.”

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

Growing up, my favorite player was Ray Lewis because of his passion and my favorite team was the Baltimore Ravens because of the strength of their defense.

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

If I could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, they would be Tupac Shakur, Ghandi, and Jay Z.

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

The first big item I buy once I get to the NFL is buy my mom’s house and whatever she wants. She deserves it.

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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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