NFL Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Austin Crimmins, K, Duquesne University

 

has been bringing our readers Prospect Interviews over the past 3 years and this year we mixed up the questions and added some fun questions for our readers. Our questions are designed to give our readers a little more insight on the player. We hope to bring you more than 350 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 the prospect!!!!

What is your name?

Austin Crimmins

What is your Height/Weight?

5’11” 200lbs

What is your position?

Kicker/Punter

Where do you play college football?

Duquesne University

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

I love working with Kohl’s Kicking Camp every chance that I get to help the kids that are striving to reach their best potential and make it to the next level.

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

Accounting, just did not work for me.

Where are you from?

Ebensburg, PA

Who is your role model, and why?

My parents, through the think and the thin they have shown me how to be the best man I can be in every different situation.

Did you play any other sports growing up?

Soccer, golf, track and field 

Did you play any other positions in football?

Nope

At your position, what separates you from others?

I would have to say my work ethic and drive, when I have a kick that doesn’t feel right in practice I am in there watching film so I can correct every little thing that I can to perform my best on Saturdays.

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

When breaking down film i first watch my overall operation to make sure that it is consistent with each kick that I took. I then will look at my form and mechanics, even going as far to making sure that my plant foot is the same distance away from the ball on every kick.

Who was the toughest player you ever faced?

Being a kicker this is tough one to answer, I would go with Lorenzo Jerome from SFU because he as been one of the best returners in the country the last couple seasons and that adds a twist to the games with our game plan everytime we face them.

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

Pat McAfee, he is a hard working guy but has fun with everything he does and that is how I am, I love kicking and love to make it as fun as possible.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Not really, just getting to the locker room at pretty much the same time going on the field to stretch and warm up before the team at almost the same time. I tend to wear the same shoes to the game that I had on for our last win.

As a small school football player what obstacles do you feel you have to overcome?

I feel that the biggest obstacle we have to overcome is that we do not get as much eyes on us compared to the FBS level. Knowing that we do not get the same exposer makes you want to work even harder though so I take it as a good thing!

What is your biggest strength?

I like to consider myself a perfectionist when it comes to kicking. I’m never satisfied, I could have the best game of my career and still say that I need to get better and there are things to work on. 

What is your biggest weakness?

Sometimes, both in practice and pregame I might tend to kick a little too much just because I’m sort of feeling it that day, but never to the point of kicking myself out and is something that has only happened a few times. 

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

I’m the hardest working kicker you are going to see and I will never stop working to perfect my craft. 

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

Denver Broncos and I would have to say Jerome Bettis, he was an absolute monster and one of the hardest runners I remember. 

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

Cristiano Ronaldo, Arnold Palmer and Peyton Manning

With your first NFL paycheck what would you buy?

Pay off student loans and take care of my family

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