NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Bilal Marshall, WR, Purdue University

NFL Draft Diamonds website has been providing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed things up a bit. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the draft eligible player. We hope to bring you more than 500 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 our next prospect!!!!

What is your name? 

Bilal Marshall

What is your Height/Weight? 

6-2 200lbs

What is your position? 

Wide Receiver/Punt Returner

Where do you play college football? 

Purdue University

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

I was fortunate enough to go to South Africa last spring break in order to help out at a Christian orphanage with a couple of my teammates. We were there for a week where we built a new fence around the property to keep wild animals and criminals off of the premises. We also built a doggy pen for the guard dogs to sleep. The last thing we did was repaint the walls of the orphanage.

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

Biology 203 which is Human Anatomy.

Where are you from? 

Miami Florida

Who is your role model, and why? 

My mother, reason being is because she had me while she was in college and continued to finish her degree even though she had to raise me. Her persistence allowed me to be able to live a where I had everything I needed.

Did you play any other sports growing up? 

Track and Field as well as basketball.

Did you play any other positions in football? 

Played Quarterback my entire life until after my freshman year at Purdue where I switched over to Receiver.

At your position, what separates you from others? 

Being a former Quarterback, I know the entire offense in and out and I read coverages fast as if I was in the backfield. My biggest asset is my long arms where I can High Point balls over corners as well as making the diving catch.

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

I look at both how the corners and safeties play in a particular coverage. Most defenses have a string attached to each player so it’s easy to find out what the corner is going to do based off of what the safety is doing with his depth and width on the field. I also look to see how aggressive a corner is and what hand he likes to use in the press game or if he uses both.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced? 

Soujourn Shelton from Wisconsin, he was quick and instinctive.

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

 I would say A.J Green, we have a similar body build. We both have long arms and quick off the line.

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

Not playing at all my Redshirt Sophomore Year. The following spring I worked like I never have before thus becoming the player that I became by my senior year. 

Do you have any pre-game rituals? 

I say a quick prayer right after the Nation Anthem just to thank God for giving me the opportunity to play this game.

What is your biggest strength? 

Being a former quarterback and being able to be more mentally prepared than my opponent. I also can play any position on the field Outside Receiver, Slot Receiver, Running back, etc.

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

With me you will get a player that’s going to do everything the right way. I compete through the whistle and never give up on a play.

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

Michael Vick, he revolutionized the game in his own way.

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

Mike Epps, Kevin Hart, and Ice Cube. That might be the funniest dinner table you can possibly be around.

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

When I can afford it, I plan to move my grandparents to a new house in a better area.