2021 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Joseph Greenwood, LS, Ball State University

• Name:Joseph Greenwood
• Position: LS
• College: Ball State University
• Height: 5’11
• Weight: 215
• Twitter: @jgreeny33

Right now, people are not talking about you the way I feel they should. Do you feel you are an underdog?

• I definitely feel like an underdog right now. I was an unranked long snapper coming into college because I started snapping during my senior year of high school.  I never went to camps and was a late recruit. Once I stepped on campus at Ball State I started every game. I never had a bad punt snap in 44 games during my career there. Now I’m being told I’m undersized since I’m not 6’2 and/or weigh 230 pounds.  I thrive on being an underdog. I just work hard, stay extremely focused and I don’t  loose sight of what is important. All I can do is strive to beat my best everyday and let the chips fall where they may. 

What is one thing that NFL teams should know about you?

• I will give any NFL team my 100% best every single day. I expect the absolute best out of myself because I hold myself to very high standards. Any team who takes a chance on me will get a player who is a leader and a great teammate. I was on the leadership council for over two years during my time at Ball State. I would do nothing to jeopardize the organization and always uplift the team. Any team who decides to give me a shot will get someone who will give his absolute best day in and day out. 

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be? 

• I would donate to cancer research because it has impacted my extended family over the years. I’ve had several family members die from cancer and I would donate any amount to research. The amount of families impacted every year due to cancer is unimaginable. More research needs to be done to better understand this disease and help create a cure. 

Who was your childhood hero? 

• My childhood hero, as cliche as this sounds, is my father. Still to this day he is my hero. He has taught me so much over these 22 years, and has been such a great role model for me to follow. 

Who is the most underrated teammate in your locker room at your school? 

• The most underrated teammate last year in our locker room was Will Jones in my opinion. He came from a very small town, and was a walk on running back. Since the first day on campus he has worked extremely hard, and it payed off when he was put on scholarship. Will got most of his playing time on special teams doing kick off and punt team. Last year he shared the load at running back and he had a good year. He is much more athletic than people think and a very hard worker. 

What is your biggest pet peeve? 

• My biggest pet peeve is laziness. I take pride in being a hard worker and being around lazy people is hard for me. I expect people to strive at the level of excellence they are capable of. 

Overcoming adversity is what defines character, what was the hardest moment in your life to overcome? 

• My toughest decision was deciding to transfer schools after my sophomore year in high school. Unfortunately, I was experiencing politics at a high school level that didn’t feel right and I really struggled with the decision to transfer. I was able to go to another school where I played quarter back, defensive end and long snapper. I ended up meeting some really good friends and teammates and had real success there that led me to Ball State. I also had the opportunity to work with Jeff Hartings, who was my coach during this time. 

Tell me something about your school and why it is so special to you?

• Ball State is a fun university to attend. There are around 20,000 students, but it has a home vibe to it. I was lucky to have attended Ball State. I loved eating at Greeks pizza every Friday night. Ball State is special to me because they were the only school to take a chance on me. I fell in love with the coaching staff instantly, and the size of campus as well. It will forever hold a special place in my heart, since it gave me an opportunity to play football and win a MAC Championship. 

What is your favorite snack food? 

• I don’t snack too much, but I love doing peanut butter and banana smoothies, or some greek yogurt. 

The NFL Draft is quickly approaching, If you could sell yourself in one sentence what would you say? 

• I’m a leader with high integrity who works extremely hard everyday to be excellent at what I do on and off the field, and I will be the best teammate to everyone in the organization. 

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

• One player I watched quite a bit during my time in college was the Eagles long snapper Rick Lovato. I really enjoyed watching his form and style because he was very similar to me. Its good to watch people at the next level with similar snapping styles to yours. 

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why?

• The first person I would like to have dinner with would be Jesus Christ because He is my Lord and savior. No other person in history has influenced the world like He did during His 33 years on earth. Reading the Bible I would have lots of questions for Him. The second person I would like to have dinner with would be Abraham Lincoln. The things he had to deal with early in this country’s history would be fascinating to talk to him about. Just to pick his brain about his up brining and time as president would be interesting. The last person I would like to have dinner with would be Louis Zamperini from the movie Unbroken. I have so much respect for him and what he went through during his time in the prison camps, and for him to go back years later to forgive his capture. I would love hearing his stories and what made him keep going during those dark times.