NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Darius Kennedy, LB, Southern Mississippi

Darius Kennedy the athletic linebacker for Southern Mississippi recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds owner Damond Talbot.
  • • Name: Darius Kennedy
  • • Height: 6’2
  • • Weight: 228
  • • Position: LB (Hybrid) and EDGE and Former Free Safety 
  • • College: The University of Southern Mississippi
  • • Twitter: @dkennedy13

Tell us about your hometown, and what you love most about it?

• My hometown is Moss Point , Ms what I love most about Moss Point is how small the community is and how everyone knows everyone and no matter how far off you go they support you from everywhere.

List these three in order of importance and why: Film Study, Strength and Conditioning and Practice?

• In my opinion the most important would have to be film study because you learn the opponent’s tendencies and there strengths and weaknesses and how to exploit the opposition. The second important would have to be practice because that’s where you visually see what your comfortable doing against the other team and tune up any kinks or clear up miscommunication problems and mistakes. The reason I chose strength and conditioning last is because this is part of your individual obligation to your team after spring camp and off season workouts your body should already be in the best shape especially in season or close to the season the two Other spots on the list are more important for the team and your mental understanding of the game plan and your overall role on the unit 

What do you worry about, and why?

•  I worry bout my mother and my two sisters and their well being ,the reason being I want them to experience the life they deserve and to relieve stress off my mother financially.

Give me an example of when you failed at something. How did you react and how did you overcome failure?

• My biggest failure in my opinion was not receiving a offer out of HS not even a juco would offer me because of my HS division size despite being a all state receiver I was left with out a offer or even a camp invite. I was able to receiver a preferred walk on spot at free safety at Mississippi Gulf coast and was able to receiver another preferred walk on to Southern Miss my sophomore year. I gained a full scholarship in the beginning of my junior season and fulfilled one of life long dreams to play Division 1 football  

What do your teammates say is your best quality?

• My Determination 

Who is the best player you have ever played against in college? Mason fine from North Texas 

• What would your career be if you couldn’t play football? I would like to continue to pursue my sports psychology graduate degree so that I could help college and pro level athletes with the issues they may not be comfortable talking to others about.

Room, desk and car – which do you clean first?

• Desk because you can’t get any work done if the desk dirty and your can live in a dirty room(not me) and you can drive a dirty car but you can’t work on a clustered desk

If there was a disaster and you could either save three strangers or one family member, which would you choose and why?

•  I would have to save my family member because once the disaster over we would be able to start over together and rebuild.

If you could be any television or movie character, who would you be and why?

• I would be Will Smith because of the positive and Charismatic energy he brings and how hard he works at his craft.

Tell me about your biggest adversity in life and how you’ve dealt with or overcome it?

• My biggest adversity I’ve faced in life so far was losing my father at a early  age and growing up with out my father Bothered me a lot when I was younger but I begin to overcome those Issues once i opened up and begin making friends through sports and broke out of my shyness.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

• My most embarrassing moment would have to be the time I caught a pick in 10th grade and returned it 91 yards to trip on the 1

What was the most memorable play of your collegiate career?

• My most memorable play was  during My junior year I forced a fumble in the red zone with 1 minute left on the clock up by 2 against Marshall 

What song best describes your work ethic?

• Yessssir by Rod Wave 

What is the most important trait you can have (Physical or Non-Physical) to help you succeed at the next level? 

• The most important trait that can help you succeed at the next level is a sense urgency ,the urgency to learn the game plan ,the urgency to be everywhere on time and do your job

If you could bring one person back from the dead for one day, who would it be and why?

• I would like to bring my father back just to have a one on one conversation and learn more about him.

If you were to open a dance club, what would you name it? 

•  Club Spark 

Who is the most underrated player in the NFL? 

• Mark Barron the versatility and skill set he brings to the Steelers is a major game changer.

Would you rather be liked or respected, and why?

• I’d rather be Respected than liked because people only like you while your on top of success, when success leave the people who like you for that will too. Gaining the respect of your peers never fades.

What player who had his career derailed by off-field issues do you feel for the most and why?

•  I would have to say tyrann Mathieu because he was doubted from the beginning and put himself in a bad situation early out of college and was able to over come the obstacles and become a widely respected vets

Do you love to win, or hate to lose?

• I love to win 

Who has been the biggest influence on your life and explain why?

• My mother and my grandparents have played the biggest influence on my life because they taught  me how to be a man when my father died when I was 7 months old they didn’t waiver in teaching me the importance of respect.

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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