NFL DraftProspect Interviews

2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Vederian Lowe, OL, University of Illinois

Vederian Lowe
Vederian Lowe the massive offensive lineman from the University of Illinois recently sat down with Justin Berendzen of NFL Draft Diamonds.
  • Name: Vederian Lowe
  • Position: OL
  • College: University of Illinois 
  • Height: 6’6
  • Weight: 320 lbs
  • Twitter: @Vederiannn

1.What do you hope to accomplish if you make it into the NFL?

Just to be able to contribute to the team and help my team win anyway possible and make sure I am a contributing player. Just make sure I’m not just taking up space and I’m making my guys better. Just trying to be a great overall team player, a great locker room guy, great for morale and just help my team win ballgames. Number one thing any player should have is help there own team win ballgames and any accolades would be great but that is the number one thing.

2.What is your favorite workout?

Used to be a bench guy back when I was younger before my arms got as long as they are. Now I am a lower body guy, so squat workouts and anything that involves the leg muscles. For the position that I play it is important to be stronger on the lower body end with big strong lineman guys so probably those are my favorites.

3.What is your mindset when you are on the football field?

My mindset when I am out there on the field is to be aggressive and attack. Attack the player in front of you also make sure that your technique is sound. Thinking about that and making sure that is right while still being aggressive and attack the defender but there is a lot of things I think about but number 1 is to be aggressive.

4.Rank focus,footwork and skill based on what is most important to you as a football player and explain why?

I think as a football player focus is the most important thing and you can have someone that has all the intangibles but if they are not coming in ready to work and grind it doesn’t mean anything. The number one thing you have to have in any sport is focus and the next thing is your skill you have to constantly get better and do things that the other guy isn’t doing and just work. And I think that your skill goes a long way then the other things come along and that’s where footwork comes in if you have the mindset and skill your footwork will catch up and you will have the ability to make your footwork better.

5.What has been your biggest challenge in life?

I think that the number one biggest thing is trying to adapt as a student athlete and also life as a father at the same time. That was something that I was not prepared for and ready to do and definitely something that I have learned to adapt to and balance out and everything that goes into football as well. And then having to come home and be a father that definitely has been my biggest challenge in life.

Check out NFL Draft Diamonds 2021 Small School Rankings

6.What are your favorite moments from your football life?

Hands down the winner is the win over Wisconsin last season I’m saying that is my favorite moment because those guys were undefeated at the time and everyone gave us no chance to win that game and we proved the world wrong and shocked the college football country that was hands down one of the special moments that I have had. And the comeback at Michigan State that was also very special I will always remember these two when I think about my time as a college football player.

7.What has been your favorite stadium that you have played in?

Probably’s Nebraska’s stadium they have a very big stadium and always sell out, there fans show out at every game and are loud at every game. If you love college football that is a great environment to be in and its a great environment to play in the air you get from the crowd noise it’s just a great stadium to play in.

8.What made you decide you wanted to be a football player?

Honestly it was just something that I had interest in. Growing up I wanted to be a basketball player, still love basketball and love watching the NBA and basketball was always number one. But when I got older I didn’t have a basketball body and had a Offensive lineman body type and I caught onto that and started leaning my focus to football. So as I got older I realized that football is the route to go and I started to focus on football and played more seriously and I started getting better every day and notice improvements and I had the size and skill level to compete at the next level is what made me decide I wanted to be a football player.

9.If you could hang out with any football player past or present for a day who and why?

That’s a very tough question for me I would love to hang out with Tom Brady for a day hes my favorite and Cam Newton is my second favorite player , I would love to hang with Odell for a day and Shannon Sharpe for a day there’s a lot of people I would love to hang out with all those guys because I think that those guys have great personalities and it would be a great time around all those guys.

10.What would a team get in a player like you?

A team would get a guy who comes  to work everyday focused and having the mindset to get better. They are going to get a guy wanting to learn the offense’s ins and outs and what his job is what the other guys are doing, really wants to contribute to his team. A guy who wants to elevate his game, I come everyday trying to push to that level. Guys are great around you and you can never settle as a player currently and have to strive to get better and that’s how I think that you last in the NFL. If you don’t the other guys are going to get better and you will get lost and you will be out of a job. And that is something that I don’t see myself doing I will come to work ready to get better and ready to push myself. And focused 100 percent of the time that’s what a team would get in a guy like me.

11.How has your experience as a University of Illinois Fighting Illini football player been?

To start out it was really rocky with Coach Smith first season went 2-10 one of my first real losing seasons it was really bad starting off and we learned a little bit every year and its been better and its gotten to the point where now this year we are going to be a great team and a good group of guys. Guys who are really good ball players who we built the culture and knows what the team expects day in and day out and everyone has the same mindset ready to come in and work and ready to get better and that is what I am ready to see I just wish we had a football season to display the things that we have now and my freshman year we had 13 or more freshman that we started I’m not sure.

12.If your life was a tv show what would you call it and why?

The King Lowe show, because my son is called Kingston and he is a big part of my life outside of football I always take him wherever I go and be with him as much as I can be. So I would probably name the show after him and have everything be about him. And just show everything that we do together and I’m always having a great time with my son. It just makes me happy being around him and doing stuff. But just seeing how all the work and time that we put in from when we first got here to now its been a long ride but I wouldn’t take anything back.

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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