NFL Draft

Draft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Keenan Holman, WR, SMU

Keenan HolmanDraft Diamonds Prospect Interview: Keenan Holman, WR, SMU

How many teams were recruiting you out of high school?

-Only offer I had was SMU so I took it.

Where did you choose and why?

-Mainly because of June Jones, I’ve always loved how his offense works. Its a spread offense for wide receivers. It requires you to read defenses and it requires you to learn more.

What were your goals for your senior year?

-My number one goal was to be accountable- Be accountable for all of your actions. Our coach always preached to the older guys to give it all you got. He said go all in on this season, be a good teammate, and be more of a leader. Young guys look up to older guys. I didn’t really set any statistical goals for myself.

Have any scouts met with you, and if so what are they saying?

– I’d say between 12-15. They asked about me a as a player, my family history, and what type of leader and teammate I am. I just tried to sell myself as me, and be honest. I hope they like what I said.

At your position, what separates you from the others?

-I feel like my knowledge of the game separates me. I pride myself on that. Knowing what I’m doing and knowing what the defense is doing. I try to be the best at what I do. Whether it’s catching the deep ball, running after the catch, or making someone miss. I’m trying to get great at all areas.

Tell us what you look for when breaking down film?

-I look at my tendencies. How have I been off the line? What have I been struggling with? Its an easy fix if you can see what you’re doing wrong. I look at how a DB plays off coverage, or if he trusts his speed. My job is to know I have speed, but know that they have speed too.

Who was the toughest player you have ever faced?

-The cornerback from TCU – #2. He played me a lot of different ways. Really good versatile player.

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

-I’d like to say Reggie Wayne. I really like the way he plays. I feel like I have more speed than him, but I see a lot of comparisons to him. I would never say at my point in my career that I’m on his level. He knows how to find open areas, and he knows how to put people on their heels. He can catch the deep ball well. I watch a lot of his tapes and figure out ways he gets open.

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

-Leaving home and coming to college and growing up. Ive never really been out of Beaumont and I moved 5 hours from home. It forces you to grow up. I feel like my maturity helped me become a better man, and have a better relationship with God. It kinda hit me, you know. I’m an adult. If you can accept that and embrace it, you can do well.

What system fits your style of play the best?

-Spread offenses are great but pro is great also. I can really rely on my knowledge. The pro offense is about being at a certain place at a certain time. I feel like with my speed I can excel at the spread offense, but my knowledge works well for the pro offense. I can find open spots and be “quarterback friendly”.

What is your biggest strength?

-My knowledge of the game- I know I keep repeating myself. I go to my DB coach and ask him what he sees and what I can improve on. I go to my WR coach and ask him the same things. After both good and bad games, I want to fix problems before they become problems.

What is your biggest weakness?

-I would have to say in some situations, my quickness. We didn’t run a lot of routes that went in and out of breaks, so I didn’t get a lot of practice with that. As a person you have weaknesses, but if you embrace them and work on them you can only get better.

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

-Im going to come in and work hard. I’m committed to myself, my job, and my duties. I’m gonna be professional and respectable. I guarantee you I will do everything I can to make myself better and represent the team as well as I can and give everything I have. I feel like questions like this are better answered with what type of man I am. I want to represent my family and myself in the best way possible. You just have to be professional with it.

Growing up, who was your role model?

-My dad. I’m proud to say I’m a daddy’s boy. I live with my dad, brothers and sisters. He always put us first and he gave us everything we wanted and needed. He was responsible. He taught me to be a man of your word. If you say you’re gonna do something, get it done. Being a man of you word gets your places. For example: If I tell a neighbor I’m gonna cut your grass at 2 pm on Saturday, I’m going to cut your grass at 2 pm on Saturday.

Who was your favorite team and player in the NFL and why?

-Cowboys- I grew up a cowboys fan and everyone in my family is. I stay in Dallas. Its always win or go home. Tony Romo is my favorite player. What he is able to do week in and week out is amazing. He does so much magic in the games. Some of his bad plays don’t even seen like bad plays to me It’s just like Tony ran out of magic. He never blames the team. He embraces everything and says I have to get better. Its never the team and he always take responsibility. You have to respect that.

What was the most tragic event that ever happened in your life and how did you overcome it?

-Honestly i haven’t had that many tragic events in my life. Ive been very fortunate.

If you were to have dinner with three people dead or alive who would it be?

-I’ve always wanted to meet Bill Cosby. If I could have dinner with someone like Bill Cosby that would be great. I would love to speak with Michael Jordan. The last person would have to be Muhammad Ali. He’s one of the greatest champions ever. Just to sit and talk about his life experiences would be great. The era he boxed in is so different from now. Its something the younger generation doesn’t appreciate or understand. They paved the way for us. Every month is black and white history month. Its just history. Young people complain but it could be a lot worse.

With your first paycheck what would you buy?

-I would take my mom and my dad shopping. My dad never goes shopping. He buys clothes but doesn’t really go shopping. I feel like my first paycheck would be for my family. They have made so many sacrifices for me so my first paycheck would be for them. A lot of it would go into savings. Id give my mom a spa day just to let her know how much she means to me. It’s like, “Hey mom thanks for everything you’ve done for me.”

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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