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Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Jake Farley, LB, University of Northern Iowa

jake farleyEvery year, NFL Draft Diamonds brings our readers the best in depth interviews on the internet. We specialize in giving players an opportunity to showcase their talents on our website. We conducted interviews last year with over 300 plus players. We want you to enjoy our interviews, because when these young men are in the league, we will not be surprised, and neither should you. 

What is your name?

Jake Farley

 What is your Height/Weight?

6’2 237

What is your position?

Inside Linebacker

Where do you play college football?

University of Northern Iowa

How many teams were recruiting you out of high school?

5 schools offered me

How did you choose your school?

I went KU out of high school and transferred to UNI because of the strong championship tradition and the close ties to home

Where are you from?

Cedar Falls, IA

Who is your role model, and why?

My parents are my role models because they have both shaped me into the person I am today.  They have always been positive influences on me and set high expectations for me as well as were my support system while working toward those goals.

jake farley 1Have any scouts met with you yet, and if so what are they saying?

I met with a few scouts after our pro day.  They told me they liked how I moved and that I did well and that they’d be in touch with me down the road.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

I did basketball, baseball, and track

Did you play any other positions in football?

In HS I played Safety, QB, and some RB as well as long snapper

At your position, what separates you from others?

I think my knowledge and being very football savvy sets me apart.  My instincts and ability to identify things help me be quicker to plays and also make more plays.

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

I look at a lot of things.  First I look at the guards to see what kinds of keys they can give me and look at their ability to climb.  Then I look at the location of the RB on each play to see if he cheats his alignments and then I’ll see what the QB is like and what he likes to do after his first look is taken away.  Last I check and see what WR splits look like on certain routes that I can influence. 

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

Montee Ball and Brandon Scherff were both great players

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

I’ve always enjoyed watching Luke Kuechly because I think he is a smart player who is a technician.  I think he’s just a hard nosed guy that shows up each week and finds the ball and I think I’m that we are similar in those regards. 

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

One of the obstacles I’ve had to overcome is going through 3 different head coaches and 5 position coaches in my 4 years of football.  I had to learn several different systems, but the way I overcame it was by showing up and doing my job and perform day in and day out.  I think as player when you look at my whole career the words persistence and hard work define me as a player and a person. 

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Just picturing myself making plays when I warm up before the game.

What is your biggest strength?

My instincts and knowledge/ability to read plays set me apart from everyone else.  I believe I have some of the fastest reads and am as smart of a guy as you’ll find, but also very coachable. Game in and game out I find the ball and get to it. 

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

I would say that I am a guy that will perform for you day in and day out and show up everyday ready to work.  I believe that my instincts and football savvyness are things you can’t teach, but I am a coachable kid that is going to find the ball if you’ll give me a shot and you won’t be disappointed.

Who was your favorite player and NFL team growing up?

Brett Favre and the Packers

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

I would for sure say Jesus, after that Vince Lombardi and Muhammad Ali

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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